A UBC Ok anagan researcher is sounding the alarm over how nicotine pouches are portrayed on TikTok and says videos are normalizing their use and making them seem trendy, especially among youth.

Nicotine pouches, which are placed in the mouth between the gum and cheek, are authorized by Health Canada to help adults quit smoking but not permitted for use by those under 18.

Associate professor at UBCO’s school of nursing Dr. Laura Struik and a team analyzed 250 videos that had garnered nearly two million shares and generated more than 16 million likes according to the platform's metrics.

On the platform, users emphasized how nictoine pouches can be used discretely.

“Many of the videos portrayed people describing how these pouches naturally fit into their lifestyle,” Struik explained,

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