Nesu Kwaramba brings the latest Word on the Street to help Christian parents understand nicotine pouches
Max (a 16-year-old boy) and Ollie (a youth worker in his mid-twenties) are at a youth club for young people aged 11-18. The discussion starts like this…
Max: “Hey Ollie, check this out, this flavour is actually good, you know!”
Ollie: “What is it?”
Max: “It’s Pablo.”
Ollie: “Come again!?”
Like Ollie most of us haven’t heard of Pablo. Pablo (like Cuba and a whole host of others) is part of the recent flurry of nicotine pouches that have colonised the shelves of supermarkets and corner shops. I know! Along with vapes it joins the ever-lengthening list of legal drugs on offer. Whilst not as immediately dangerous as illegal drugs or solvents legal drugs can still have very serious consequences in the long-term. So, what should we make of it this recent fad for some young people.
How bad are pouches?
Returning to our fictional story, once Ollie has understood what Pablo is, he suggests to Max that it might not be very good for him, but Max is more relaxed about it …
Max: “You know Pablo doesn’t have tobacco like cigarettes, so it’s healthier than smoking… and it also doesn’t have the smoke from vapes either!
Ollie: “Yeah, but it’s still bad for you…”
Max: “How though?”
“It’s bad for you!” - In the absence of proper information this succinct phrase is often all we have to hand when discussing harmful adolescent behaviours. Yes, “I’ve been there, and done that, and here’s what happened” might work – and at times has worked. But we’ve got to anticipate the rebuttal: “…and you survived!” Well, here are some quick-fire facts about nicotine pouches so that we can all do a little bit better than Ollie – before we finish with some hopefully helpful advice from the Word, as well as from personal experience.
The Truth about Pablo
pouches are an unregulated product with no formal age restrictions, so in theory any child or young person can buy them
Nicotine pouches can be purchased in supermarkets, corner shops or online for about a fiver. Until the Tobacco and Vapes Bill passes through Parliament (sometime this year) pouches are an unregulated product with no formal age restrictions, so in theory any child or young person can buy them. One container contains about 20 small pouches. You have to put one pouch into your mouth between your gum and your lip and leave it for about an hour. Nicotine then enters your bloodstream though mucous membranes in your mouth and makes its way to the brain where a chemical reaction takes place that releases dopamine and produces pleasurable feelings for the consumer.
So, yes, the pouches are smoke-free and don’t have tar, or half as many toxic chemicals as cigarettes have – some of which have been linked to cancers. Additionally, they also don’t carry the risk of swallowing harmful metallic substances into the lungs – like lead, tin and nickel – like vapes do. But…
These colourful, flavourful items – that are (purportedly) designed to appeal to emerging generations – can lead to nicotine addiction, especially for young people who were not taking any nicotine beforehand. Research suggests that gum recession is likely, that there will be a negative impact on brain develomernt and most worringly they can be a ‘gateway’ into more harmful drugs.
Word of Life?
The Word of Life for the Word on the Street? Well, let’s be real. There has always been, and will always be, ‘bad stuff’ that we are trying to steer young people away from. I suppose this is part of Solomon’s observation that “… there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9:) and honestly, it will always be challenging trying to ‘get through’ to your children and young people regarding potentially harmful life-choices against the torrents of peer pressure, popular culture and pre-frontal cortex development (see 1 Corinthians 13:11).
But as parents, this will always be part of your role - to put “before [them] life and death” (Deuteronomy 30:19) i.e. educate them about the pros and cons of a choice and translate your deep desire: ‘Oh, that you would choose life’, into fervent prayer.
Word from Life?
Let me add some practical wisdom from working with young people. As youth workers, one of our greatest strengths is being open and honest and with young people – without being injudiciously revealing – so that young people know you’ve made mistakes, have been where they’ve been and are not just talking down to them from a track record of perfection. So, honesty works wonders. This, as well as not being judgemental and ‘too startled’ (don’t appear visibly shocked or horrified!) when you discover some of this behaviour among them, builds trust and confidence in them that they can confide in you about some of their choices – that’s why Max told Ollie in the first place! It’s not about condoning; but neither is it about condemning. Being a good listener is also essential. So being honest and listening.
So, we have educate, pray, be honest and listen. Let me reshuffle the words around: honest, educate, listen and pray - help! A few ways we can help young people through these tricky adolescent waters, and not just their recent fixation with flavours and fumes.
