If the pouches have more than 16.7mg of nicotine, then under general product safety regulation, there should be a skull and cross bones symbol on the packaging and a list of the chemical components written in English.
This regulation, Ms Pike says, is increasingly being flouted, with Trading Standards officers seizing thousands of illegal products across the UK.
The pouches are significantly less harmful than cigarettes, and because chemicals do not enter the lungs, they may carry fewer risks than vapes.
Harry Tattan-Birch, a senior researcher from University College London, says pouches are the “least harmful way” to ingest nicotine.
“If they were used to stop people smoking or vaping, they could have a positive public health effect – but it would only be positive if they were used by those wanting to quit, not those who are trying nicotine for the first time.”
While they may carry fewer health risks than cigarettes and vapes, there are cardiovascular risks for people using pouches with high quantities of nicotine – and there is growing concern over the damage nicotine pouches do to gums.