A new study indicates that tobacco use has reached its lowest level among middle and high school students in 25 years, but there is a worrying trend in the rise of nicotine pouches.
Cigarette use among children, as well as smoking cigars, pipes, and hookah, has decreased according to the annual national youth tobacco survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, overall tobacco use has significantly decreased since the 2023 survey, with approximately 2.25 million students consuming one tobacco product in the past thirty days, compared to 2.8 million students in the previous year. However, one product has seen an increase in use: nicotine pouches.
Unlike cigarettes, cigars, or hookah, nicotine pouches do not contain actual tobacco leaves, although the nicotine they contain can be extracted from tobacco plants. Nevertheless, for survey purposes, the Centers for Disease Control still categorize them as tobacco products. Nicotine pouches consist of a powder containing nicotine (which in itself is highly addictive and dangerous) and flavorings. Users place them between their gums and lips, and the nicotine is absorbed through the gums and mouth lining when the powder dissolves, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Nicotine pouches have become somewhat of a cultural war issue in recent years, embraced by prominent conservatives including members of Congress Mike Collins and Marjorie Taylor Green as a well-known anti-regulation issue. Although they have been on the market for decades, their popularity has surged over the past decade. One study found that sales of the product increased by over 300% between 2016 and 2020, while the tobacco company Philip Morris, which owns the popular Zyn brand, reported a 78% increase in pouch sales in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Even comedian and podcaster Theo Von told Tucker Carlson that he believes the pouches have enhanced his awareness in social situations. If you need a scare before Halloween, just try to imagine that. Terrifying. It should be noted that this claim is largely, if not entirely, false. Study after study has found a link between tobacco use and erectile dysfunction, including e-cigarettes. Even without tobacco delivery mechanisms, nicotine constricts blood vessels, which can contribute to sexual dysfunction.
It now appears that the tobacco experience is less likely to lead to this habit. In this year’s survey, 42.9% of students who used any tobacco product said they did so in the past month, down from 46.7% in the previous year.
Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, stated: “We are moving in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among the youth of our nation.” “But we cannot take our foot off the gas. There is a need for continued vigilance to continue reducing all forms of tobacco product use among youth. Addressing disparities remains an essential part of these efforts to ensure that no one is left behind.
Every year, the Centers for Disease Control conducts the national youth tobacco survey through an online questionnaire, voluntarily filled out by middle and high school students (grades six through twelve) on a self-administered basis. For the 2024 survey, data was collected on May 22, involving 29,861 students.
Everyone should know this now, but nicotine use is associated with a wide range of health problems (besides sexual dysfunction), including arterial wall hardening, pregnancy threats, and even the impact on brain development in individuals under the age of 25. The general rule is, if Tucker Carlson likes something, it’s likely to lead to human misery, and this is a lesson we must teach to our children.
