Nicotine Pouches:
An ICMR study found nicotine pouches rapidly entering Indian urban markets through e-commerce, delivery platforms and hookah shops, raising WHO-backed concerns over regulatory and enforcement gaps.They Are Small, tobacco-free, permeable sacks containing pharmaceutical or synthetic nicotine, food-grade plant fibers, water, and flavorings. Users place the pouch between the gum and upper lip, where nicotine is absorbed directly through the oral mucosa into the bloodstream without combustion, smoke, vapor, or spitting.Unlike chewing tobacco, gutkha, or snuff, nicotine pouches contain no actual tobacco leaf, stem, or dust, relying instead on lab-synthesized or chemically extracted pure nicotine.
