Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) counselors are starting to hear from local youth that oral nicotine pouches are becoming a popular alternative to vaping.

The pouches have prompted concerns because they’re higher in nicotine content than traditional vape devices and cigarettes, according to Chris Harnish, MIYFS school-based mental health counselor and alcohol and drug intervention specialist at Mercer Island High School (MIHS).

“We know the majority of our students are not using tobacco products. But those that are, we’re seeing a shift towards this product. And it’s a bit more stealthy than using a vape device,” said Harnish, noting that the ZYN pouches deliver two to three times more nicotine per dosage than vape devices and cigarettes.

Harnish added that the pouches are packed with a nicotine salt, which is a man-made pharmaceutical-grade type nicotine.

Along with ZYN, there are other pouches that all utilize sweet, fruity and candy-like flavors that “may give youth the misleading perception that the pouches are not harmful to their health,” according to the MIYFS Healthy Youth Initiative site.

In the marketing realm, Harnish said that TikTok “ZYNfluencers” are releasing videos to primarily target youth. MIYFS counselors are concerned that youngsters are becoming introduced to the product and that the risk of becoming addicted is greater because of the higher nicotine content, Harnish said.

The Healthy Youth Initiative site also notes: “Agencies monitoring the rise of nicotine pouches like ZYN indicate that specific long-term health effects are unknown, however, we do know that youth use of nicotine in any form is unsafe.”

In recent weeks, Harnish has visited all of MIHS’s health classes and spent time with some Islander Middle School seventh-graders to raise awareness about the dangers associated with the product, risk of addiction and misleading marketing, he said.

“We’re pushing out over our socials and the principal’s newsletter to adults to make them aware of it. Because it’s such a new product, a lot of parents might not be aware,” he said.

MIYFS is planning an educational event with the high school’s S.A.F.E. (Super, Awesome, Fun, Events) Club, which promotes healthy lifestyle choices, during a lunch hour later this month.

The ZYN website notes that its product is “for adult nicotine consumers 21+ only. We take the issue of underage usage extremely seriously, which is why we require all new visitors to go through a strict age verification process before entering our website.”

For more information on prevention basics, visit: https://www.mihealthyyouth.com/