Teenagers risking heart trouble from nicotine pouches (2025)

Experts fear teenagers are risking heart problems through an 'epidemic' of nicotine pouch use, with footballers like Jamie Vardy accused of glamorising the trend.

Shock figures revealed exclusively to The Mail on Sunday suggest half of 15 to 18-year-olds regularly pop a pouch into their mouths, giving them a nicotine hit that is 15 times stronger than a cigarette.

Many teens are believed to be influenced by their popularity with footballers. Leicester striker Vardy, 38, has admitted using pouches and Manchester United's Victor Lindelof has admitted using snus, which are similar to pouches but contain tobacco.

A study last year by the Professional Footballers Association found that one in five top players uses pouches or snus, saying they help to calm them in matches.

Like vapes, pouches target the young with fruit flavours. A brightly-coloured tin with 30 pouches costs £5 on high streets. Pouches are unregulated as they do not contain tobacco and there are no age restrictions on sales.

Teens can use them without teachers or parents knowing. But they often cause light headedness, nausea and vomiting.

Their strength has also seen young people hospitalised with cardiac issues. Other serious side effects include addiction, gum disease, tooth loss and depression.

Probing nicotine pouch use in under-18s for the first time, drug education charity DSM Foundation found that 46 per cent of 4,000 pupils aged 15 to 18 had used them.

'It's a massive issue which seems to be going completely under the radar,' said Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, the foundation's founder.

Addiction counsellors say use of similar products by footballers has glamorised them. Gary Lineker warned of their dangers after trying a nicotine pouch before the 2020 Euros, triggering a seven-hour bout of vomiting.

Psychotherapist Steve Pope said he has seen a 60 per cent rise in pouch addiction cases since 2021. One child aged 11 sought help.

He said: 'It's an epidemic rife in schools. Kids competing in sports start using pouches because they think it'll boost their performance, when the opposite is true.'

He said a worry is the high stimulant levels in them spiking blood pressure and increasing heart rate to the point of cardiac arrest.

He said: 'We've had four under-18s referred to cardiac consultants in two years with suspected cardiac arrests because of pouches.'

Student Katy Cookson, 19, of Lytham St Annes, came to Mr Pope after her parents thought she was depressed – not knowing she was hooked on the pouches.

She was spending £70 a week on pouches and getting through 10 capsules a day – equivalent to the nicotine in five cigarette packets.

She said: 'I hid it from everyone – even when I went to A&E with heart tremors.' She lost two back teeth due to gum infections.

A spokesman for British American Tobacco UK, which owns the VELO brand of nicotine pouches, said: 'We are clear that VELO is for adult smokers and nicotine users only and a tobacco-free alternative to cigarettes.

'We have repeatedly called on the British government to introduce specific regulation for nicotine pouches to ensure robust product quality, responsible marketing and minimum age of sale requirements – and we hope that it will do this as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.'

Gary LinekerJamie Vardy

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