Australian social media influencers are promoting highly controversial
and likely harmful flavoured nicotine pouches in viral videos claiming
they are an effective tool to quit vaping, as public health experts warn
the increasingly popular products could become the next youth epidemic.

The teabag-like sachets are placed between the gum and lip and are
similar to Snus, which is popular in Scandinavia. But unlike Snus, which
contains tobacco, nicotine pouches contain nicotine extracted from
tobacco or synthetic nicotine and are promoted as “tobacco free”.

The products are manufactured by tobacco companies such as Philip
Morris International’s Zyn brand and British American Tobacco’s Velo brand.

Stefan Kohut, 19, is an Australian fitness(!) influencer with 13,700
followers on TikTok. He promotes the platform Snussaholic with a link
to the website that sells Zyn, Velo and other nicotine pouches.

And Sydney-based fitness(!) influencer Zahki Kapusta, 24, has more
than 15,000 followers on TikTok. His 30 December video, "Become your
best self and quit vaping in 2024" has 2 million plays.

—Both of these disgusting individuals need to be shut down.  Playing
    on the gullibility of youthful Australians is just not on.   End of story.

           

Vaping was touted as a way to stop smoking, now this to stop vaping..... Hopefully it will remain illegal, and while I would not see tobacco and vapes banned outright I would hope that education will see their use decline to the point where it's no longer worthwhile to manufacture and sell them.