A loophole that currently lets under-18s purchase nicotine pouches needs to be closed say health campaigners, according to the BBC.

Nicotine pouches can be bought in most supermarkets in the UK however they are not regulated the same way as cigarettes or e-cigarettes, making it possible for under-18s to purchase them.
Hazel Cheeseman of the anti-smoking charity Ash, told the BBC that better legal regulation was needed in this area including to stop giving out free samples to under-18s and introduce limits on strength and to restrict marketing of the pouches.
“Companies are operating to what the law allows,” she added. “There is extensive promotion and no way to know if they’re being sold to people under 18. We need a regulatory framework that captures all nicotine products.”
According to the BBC, some brands have introduced their own age restrictions and feature warnings on product packaging with one of the UK’s largest nicotine pouch providers, Nordic Spirit, which is owned by Japan Tobacco International, agreeing that regulations need to be revised. Its spokeswoman, Nicky Small, told the BBC the company has spearheaded a self-regulation framework which governs the marketing of the product and limits access to over-18s.
Figures from Ash show that only one in 25 people in the UK had tried nicotine pouches and that the overall number of people using them in the UK is still small.
“We continue to review the impact of nicotine pouches, including by commissioning an expert committee to investigate their risks,” the Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement.