Addressing the residents we met in Riga, we show several photos showing small round cans with several small packages. There are several options – shoe polish, tea bags or candy. True, all these conjectures turned out to be far from the truth.
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At first glance, the seemingly innocent boxes contain nicotine pads, sometimes called “snus”. According to taboo-free viewers, this harmful substance is traded freely and without any restrictions on social networks.
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In my opinion, the sale of this type of products in Latvia is prohibited. And I am fascinated by how conspicuous and careless these traders trade it. The Instagram profile has several hundred followers. Judging by the pictures of the followers, it can be said that a large part of them are minors. Can this type of trading continue?
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Looking at the indicated “Instagram” profile, it can be seen that “snus” is imported from Sweden, but the boxes are delivered to the buyer in Latvia using a parcel terminal. In turn, we find several minors in the list of profile followers.
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Specialty store seller
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Yes Yes. Behind the lips, the gums are placed inside and there. Ingest nicotine. I tried the strength of “two”, two, and I felt too strong. There’s an awful lot of nicotine. But it was only two. There are also four that people use. And a lot. And there’s oats in general.
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And it’s no wonder, because when you look at the composition of the pads, the hair rises upright:
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- nicotine
- water
- filler
- flavor enhancer
- xylitol
- thickener
- acidity regulator
- flavorings
- ammonium
- sweetener
- This is the packet that ..- .. and sweeteners.
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Lev Polunin, narcologist at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital
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The brain of a young person in adolescence is still developing and forming important parts of the brain – the frontal cortex, which is responsible for our ability to concentrate, work, plan for the future. And the effects of any psychoactive substance at this stage of life will not lead to anything good. Due to these substances, the child may experience nausea, vomiting, even loss of consciousness, and in very severe cases of poisoning – also seizures.
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“Without Taboo” you can also find pads that contain tobacco. However, the marketing of such “snus” is largely banned in the European Union. But a completely different situation is with nicotine pads.
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Inga Birzniece, Representative of the Ministry of Health
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When it comes to prototypes of tobacco substitutes or so-called nicotine pads, there is currently no definition, regulation or regulation of such products in the European Union or in Latvia. This is explained by the fact that these products have entered our market relatively recently. And that is why it takes time to strengthen the regulation.
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However, the representative of the Ministry emphasizes that the sale of nicotine-containing products to minors is a punishable act.
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Inga Birzniece, Representative of the Ministry of Health
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And in fact, when viewed by analogy, electronic cigarette fluids and nicotine pads have one thing in common – nicotine uptake. Consequently, the requirements set out in the legislation on electronic cigarettes could be extended to nicotine pads. But, of course, in order to avoid different interpretations, then a clear and definite regulation in the Tobacco Law is needed.
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Since July, the new draft of the Tobacco Law has been roaming the corridors of the Saeima, which envisages, among other things, a ban on the sale of tobacco substitutes in Latvia, including nicotine pads. It is not yet known when the amendments to the law will enter into force.
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The circulation of such and similar substances is controlled not only by the State Police, but also by the State Revenue Service (SRS), which also explained whether and how the trade in these harmful nicotine pads is monitored.
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