Number of nicotine poisonings in kids skyrockets with pouches becoming more common
Nicotine pouch poisonings in children surged by 763% in recent years
- A new study found over 134,000 nicotine poisonings among children younger than six were reported to poison centers in a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics from 2010 to 2023.
- Most of the poisoned children were under two years old, with nearly all incidents occurring at home.
- While overall nicotine poisoning rates decreased due to a reduction in liquid nicotine incidents, poisonings from nicotine pouches surged by approximately 763 percent between 2020 and 2023.
- Nicotine pouch ingestions were more likely to result in serious medical outcomes or hospital admissions compared to other nicotine products.
- Although most poisonings had minor or no effects, there were 39 cases with major effects, such as trouble breathing and seizures, and two deaths attributed to liquid nicotine.