Ministers have been warned that children could turn to high-potency nicotine powders that they can currently buy legally following a crackdown on teen vaping.
Nicotine powders are sold in pouches the size of chewing gum and placed in the mouth, where they dissolve and are absorbed by the body.
Because they are not classified as tobacco products in Britain, they can currently be legally sold to children.
Like some controversial vape products, some brands offer kid-friendly flavors like “gummy bear” or “strawberry vanilla candies” in brightly colored packaging featuring cartoon characters.
Some online retailers are touting the products as a “healthier” alternative to vaping, claiming their products offer users a more discreet way to get their nicotine hit.
Some nicotine powders are sold in colorful packaging and have a candy-like taste, just as vape product experts have criticized them for being aimed at children
Ministers have been urged to close a loophole in legislation allowing the sale of nicotine powders to children
Some powders offered for sale by MailOnline contain much more nicotine than cigarettes (stock image)
Experts and anti-smoking groups today called on the government to close the loophole allowing the products to be sold to children.
They warned that efforts to wean children off nicotine by cracking down on vaping could fail if other sources remained available.
Nicotine powders were originally developed as a smoking cessation tool, but have since become a distinctive and powerful recreational product in their own right.
MailOnline found some candy flavors of the powders sold online contained almost 33mg of nicotine per sachet.
For comparison, a single cigarette contains between 8 and 20 mg of nicotine.
Candy flavored nicotine powders are sold in jars of just 20 sachets for just ?4.50, meaning children can buy a large quantity of nicotine relatively cheaply.
Alice Wiseman, addiction policy lead at the Association of Directors of Public Health, told The Times: ‘The sale of these highly harmful and addictive nicotine capsules to children and young people is completely unacceptable.
‘There are currently no regulations in place to prevent these products from being sold to under-18s, leaving them vulnerable to the targeted marketing used to entice them to purchase and use such a harmful product.
‘The government must introduce more regulations to protect children and young people, to prevent nicotine capsules and other similar harmful products from being advertised as something fun and suitable for someone under the age of 18.’
She also called for more research to learn about the long-term health effects of nicotine powder use.
With the government set to ban disposable vapes to curb nicotine addiction in children, there are fears that young people could turn to alternative sources to get their fix.
Although the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s is banned, the latest data shows that more than a tenth of 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping.
Many websites selling the powders are already touting the benefits of using them compared to vapes.
Tests on e-cigarettes seized from young people showed that they contained dangerous levels of lead, nickel and chromium. Some were almost ten times above safe limits. Exposure to lead can hinder brain development, while the other two metals can cause blood clotting
NHS Digital data, based on the Smoking, Drinking and Drugs Among Young People in England Survey for the year 2021, showed that 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used a vape
Some claim that powders are healthier than vaping because the nicotine is not inhaled and there is no risk of lung irritation.
They also emphasize how discreet the use of the powder is, as no vapor or smoke is produced, meaning people can use it anywhere without any obvious signs.
Vapes, which allow the user to inhale nicotine as a vapor instead of the smoke from traditional cigarettes, are widely accepted as healthier than smoking and as an aid in quitting smoking.
However, this does not mean they are without risk and experts have warned against long-term use, especially in children.
NHS figures show a rise in the number of children admitted to hospital due to vaping.
Forty children and young people were admitted to hospital in England last year for ‘vaping-related conditions’, which may include lung damage or worsening asthma symptoms, up from 11 two years earlier, the NHS said.
Some children have also suffered catastrophic allergic reactions after vaping.
Some popular nicotine powder brands already limit the sale of their products to those over 18, but this is voluntary.
Others, featured on this website, do not require age verification to view their products before purchasing.
Everything you need to know about e-cigarettes
How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette?
There are many different brands of e-cigarettes, with different nicotine levels.
The legal amount of nicotine in an e-liquid capacity in the UK is 20 mg/ml, which is equivalent to between 600 and 800 puffs.
The Elf Bar 600, one of the most popular vapes in the UK, is advertised as being available in nicotine strengths of 0mg, 10mg and 20mg.
How many cigarettes are in an e-cigarette?
The Elf Bar 600 contains the equivalent of 48 cigarettes, analysts say.
It delivers 600 puffs before needing to be thrown away, meaning that in theory every 12.5 puffs equals one cigarette.
Experts say that for many e-cigarettes, 100 puffs are equivalent to ten regular cigarettes.
Elf Bars is a brand of e-cigarettes often sold in trendy colors and with kid-friendly names and flavors, such as blue razz lemonade and green gummy bear
Is vaping better for your health than cigarettes?
According to the NHS, vaping products are considered better than cigarettes because users are exposed to fewer toxins and lower levels.
The health department adds that vaping instead of smoking cigarettes reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and diseases of the heart and circulatory system, such as strokes and heart attacks.
Public Health England, which no longer exists, published an independent expert review in 2015 which concluded that e-cigarettes are around 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes.
However, vaping is not without risk because even though the levels in tobacco products are much higher, e-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.
And Dr. Onkar Mudhar, a London dentist who posts videos on TikTok, said Elven bars can cause gingivitis, swelling and bleeding.
He said this is because nicotine dries out your mouth and reduces saliva, causing irritation from a buildup of bacteria and food that can’t be washed away.
Nearly 350 hospital admissions were recorded in England in 2022 due to vaping, which are believed to be mainly due to respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pain, pneumonia and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.