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SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE expressed concern about highly addictive nicotine pouches being used by Irish students.
Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Paul Crone, told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that the pouches are based off a Scandinavian tobacco product called snus.
The small pouches, which users put inside their lips to obtain a hit of nicotine, fall outside the parameters of Irish laws on tobacco or vapes.
Crone acknowledges that principals are not certain as to how widespread the practice is in this country. However, they are urging the HSE to issue a health advisory around the use of these small pouches.
Crone states that the problem is that students find it easier to conceal nicotine pouches than traditional tobacco products.
“It was very clear when students were smoking cigarettes, it became clear when they were vaping – they could be seen,” he said.
“It’s much harder to catch them [vaping], but it’s impossible to know when a student has a very small pouch tucked between their gum and their lip, to know how many students are using these products.”
Crone said these nicotine patches are readily available to students, as they aren’t subject to the same sales restrictions as actual snus packets and other products containing tobacco.
“Because there is no tobacco in the pouches, there is no legal basis for restricting their sale or use here in Ireland,” he said.
“So, these pouches are available in local shops, in garages; there’s no age restriction on them because the restrictions apply to the use and sale of tobacco, not nicotine.
“They’re sitting in a loophole space at the moment.”
Crone fears that young people might come under the influence of well known people who use the products.
According to Crone, professional athletes and influencers are introducing many young people to the product.
“(The footballer) Jamie Vardy came out quite strongly that he was using the other nicotine pouches, and other sports stars.
“So, students don’t see the danger in it, they don’t see that potential long-term health effects that it would have on them.
“They just feel that it helps to calm them, it gives them that, I suppose, immediate, instant hit, and they’re not aware of what the long-term implications of that would be for them.
“I presume they can persuade themselves, ‘This is not like smoking, there’s no tar in my lungs, so therefore it’s not harmful to my health’.”
Crone added that Government needs to look at the loophole in our legislation in relation to nicotine pouches.
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said today that he new government must “urgently act” to halt the use of nicotine pouches by secondary school students.
“Apart from the health implications of these pouches, there is now growing concern that nicotine dependency is causing some students to become irritable at school,” Whitmore said.
“In recent years we have seen welcome restrictions on the sale of vaping products and e-cigarettes to under-18s, as well as legislation to ban disposable vapes and increase the minimum legal smoking age to 21.
“Yet, bizarrely, the outgoing Minister for Health failed to regulate the sale of nicotine pouches in tandem with these other measures.
Whitmore added that the new government must not be “so complacent” about the sale of nicotine pouches to under-18s, which they label a “growing threat to the health and wellbeing of our young people”.
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Truly a dark day for the world.
@Daniel Skelton: why because wars are ending? Because economy’s and markets are booming again.
@Daniel Skelton: If he hasn’t ended the war in Ukraine by midnight tomorrow night then by his own criteria he’ll be a failure seeing as he said he’d end it on Day 1
@Daniel Skelton: Only a dark day for the left wing cucks who put migrants above themselves.
@Darran Macken: dream on. There are non so blind as those who will not see.
@Darran Macken: no because they have elected a x preditor a felion and a person with sticky fingers. How’s that for starters. Stupid question
@Daniel Skelton: explain please..
@Daniel Skelton: The people have spoken.
@Ulick: If you have to ask, then you aren’t ready to know yet.
@Daniel Skelton: Wars and WOKE are gone for good. Anyone who says this is dark is sick in the head.
@Daniel Skelton: Please tell me Daniel.
I’m sure you know a lot from watching RTE.
@Ulick: I don’t watch RTE or even pay my TV licence to watch it, or any other media. I keep my head down and ignore all the bs in the world. But I know enough to know how Donald Dump the Rap ist is nothing but pure subhuman filth, along with his other disgusting buddy Musk. People who support Dump, are easily fooled and manipulated by him, just because he has a bit of charm. But realistically, he doesn’t have anyone’s interests at heart.
If you cannot understand that, then there’s no hope for you. But again, I just keep my head down and ignore the bs until it directly impacts me somehow.
@Daniel Skelton: The brighter days with common sense are back! No woke lefty bull!
@Adam H2022: woke was only ever in your head
@Andrew Martin: Cheers for proving my point!
@Daniel Skelton: Thats what people say when they have nothing else.
@Pat O Dwyer: that’s already been pushed out to 100 days
@Pat O Dwyer: the wars wrapping up soon, you have being following the latest news out Kiev since trump was elected??? They want to make a deal so yes wars are ending people in gaza can sleep alot easier tonight, bidan wanted to keep sending arms trump said all hostages realised before I’m in, hostages being realised, what more do yous lot want
@Daniel Skelton: so how do you know what’s going on, with an opinion like that you do watch rte,BBC etc. pants on fire.
@Daniel Skelton: I think, deep down, people know we’re truly fecked with climate change, even if they claim otherwise. Americans want to go out with a bang, and to them, that means going on a few holidays a year, driving the biggest car you can get, and buying tat from Amazon. They’ve no other goals, god love them. And trump has tapped into that simplistic way of thinking.
@Fiona: no, it’s just pure ignorance- I don’t mean in a general way or even as an insult . but many Americans simply have no engagement with politics and don’t understand what they have voted for
@Daniel Skelton: I disagree with you.
As Trump said, the common sense revolution starts today.
Can’t wait for the woke brigade whinging
@Liam deoráiste: generic meaningless comment from someone whom is most likely poorly educated.
@Robert: “whats that c##t McGregor doing there??” – Poorly educated, vulgar Robbie.
@Chop Chop: if you dispute my statement about McGregor, says a lot about your moral compass
@Robert: ‘Poorly educated’. Having a degree in Gender studies doesn’t make you educated Robbie.
@Liam deoráiste: seen a comment by some luny saying its a shame there isn’t a sniper around today, typical from that aggressive side, I’ve never come across a comment by anyone on here calling for a sniper to be around for bidan, again that other lot are aggressive thankfully there reign is over the world can have peace again
@Darran Macken: I think it’s hormonal imbalance; it explains the irrational aggression and the messed up worldview of the left.
@Robert: Robert wokie de first
Greatest words ever spoken. “Only two genders: Male & Female….about time.
@Maurice: why do men have nipples!!. Save us from the ignorant magas
@Patricia Mc namara: LOL..I don’t know, please tell me.
@Maurice: only 2 classes, rich and poor, but at least you stuck it to the trannies
@Mr Sparkle: Only two classes? What are you attempting to say?
@Patricia Mc namara: because men are super female. We all start off as female. But still two genders male and female, period.
@Patricia Mc namara: both genders are born with nipples though, but what you are born with In the reproduction area allocates you to either of the TWO genders it’s actually not that difficult to understand.
This is like being at the top of the roller coaster just before it starts going down, hang on everybody, this trip is 4 years long.
@KTH: won’t last 4 years.
Fricken delighted, go on Donald. The world needs people like you..
So he’s going drilling for more oil..
Extra Carbon Tax for Ireland so because the politicians in Ireland think that Ireland is going to save the world when WE CAN’T
@Tommy: I believe 100% in human created climate change, but you have a point there. What are we doing ffs?
You’d think trying to overthrow democracy might be a hindrance. Apparently not
@Robert: I agree. Trying to throw the man with the most votes in the entire country into prison for a financial crime, a few months before he was elected. The authoritarian left wing were no hindrance on the inevitable win of the Republican Party.
@Joe Willis: who tried to throw him into prison?
@Dermot Blaine: The libtard judge in the most liberal state in the USA, New York. Obviously it didn’t work once it got to the actual court. The Supreme Court.
@Joe Willis: prison was never mentioned. He is guilty though, that’s the important thing.
Can never find a sniper when you need one
@Paul Murphy: Mods need to turn comments off with hateful calls for assassinations like this!
@Paul Murphy: There’s over 400 million guns in America. 90% of them are owned by the right wing/Conservatives. You can see why the left wing are so desperate to get rid of the 2nd amendment. Because if any sort of civil war broke out, they would get Rittenhoused.
@Christopher Ryan: It going to end in tears either way
Believe it or not folks, Billionaires do not care about your wellbeing, and you’re thick ad Sh!te if you think they do
@Mr Sparkle: I’m sure I’ll get a response or 2 to this by lads who earn average salaries who think kissing the @rse of the super wealthy is a rebellious act, somehow
@Mr Sparkle: Yet you wanted everyone to get the vaccine to enrich pharmaceutical billionaires. Hypocrite.
@Joe Willis: no, I didn’t, why did you assume so?
@Joe Willis: Just keep thinking Trump is a working class hero champ
@Mr Sparkle: No, I don’t, why do you assume so?
@Joe Willis: You’re fond of exactly 1 more billionaire than me anyway
@Mr Sparkle: Yes. Michael O’Leary, the man who revolutionised commercial flying.
Yaaay. I
@Fergus O’Donnell: We Irish have our freedom from colonial abuse thanks to US. Anti US is a phobia that is being outed.
Only two genders again. Back to common sense. Enough of the lunacy.
@Ulick: A bit too difficult for you to understand the subject, right? Easier for the poorly-educated that this felon loves so much.
@Jack Hayes: How many genders is there
@Jack Hayes: That’s what people say when they have nothing else to say. Please explain for me. It’s not complicated is it?
@Jack Hayes: I understand XY chromosomes. Do you?
@Jack Hayes: by poorly educated do you mean the majority of American voters? Because that’s a lot of people.
Thankfully, now we are all much safer and some will never realise why.
Those Founding Fathers the Americans are so proud of talking about are turning in their graves….
Ohhhhh god help America. Ye get what ye deserve. Good luck with it
@John Flanagan: Can you elaborate please?
@Ulick: You have to be joking, surely ….
@Jack Hayes: I’m serious. Tell us why you know.
He’s starting off by lying through his teeth. What a chancer you guys elected
@Billy Carroll: elaborate please.
@Ulick: DER EETING DE DOGS
Yahoo…
Glory Glory Hallelujah…
@Ulick: Julia Ward Howe turning in her grave.
God bless us all..one can only pray for a sniper now
@Derek O Gorman: You think Vance would be any better?
@Derek O Gorman: Too late. This hasn’t been about Trump for a long time now.
This is about racist, toxic-nationalist, couldn’t find Greenland on a map middle-of-America finding a figure head who tells them what they want to hear.
@JT Quinn: 2 snipers .
@Derek O Gorman: Do you live in America?
@Patricia Mc namara: Do you live in Ireland or America?
@Derek O Gorman: typical
@Patricia Mc namara: What type of human being are you? So sanctimonious and yet, now we see what’s inside.
Felon with liability for ra pe
@Jack Hayes: like hunter biden
@Joe Willis: no, not like hunter Biden. Hunter is not president.
@Dermot Blaine: That’s a far right racist conspiracy theory.
Typical
Trump is unfit
@Anthony Ross: Tell me why?
No sign of Bannon. Probably in a hut somewhere planning how he will rip their faces off. Maga eating major humble pie here. Big civil war in the GOP incoming.
Drill baby drill – liquid gold . Comment .
We should also be concerned that his various offspring think that they should follow him into office in future years
@Ian McDonald: We can only hope they do.
@Ian McDonald: why?
What have you got against his kids?
Irish media love trump bashing. Media stateside have backed off the toxic reporting, time ours did too and report on the true issues faced the people of Ireland.
Amen
The world is bigger than Trump
Be an interesting 4 years.
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