you may have heard of Zen lately it's an increasingly popular nicotine pouch and it has enthusiastic following Zen fluenc are getting online to sing its Praises all across Tik Tok and Instagram you can see users popping these little white pouches between their gums and cheek the pouch contains it does not contain tobacco but it does contain nicotine flavorings and plant-based fibers users often talk about getting a rush from the effect Senator Chuck Schumer had this to say about Zin at a press conference a couple weeks ago pouch packed with problems high levels of nicotine so today I'm delivering a warning to parents because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids teenagers and even lower and then use the social media to hook them with flavors like cinnamon Citrus even coffee no surprise that the nicotine pouch Market has exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry but the negative effects on health are growing even faster Dr n Kamar on call to break it all down for us good morning to you good to see you morning what do you think in regard to safety is it safe are they safer than cigarettes I mean what what's your thought on this well we really don't know and I mean they are gaining a lot of popularity first because they're marketed as being safe but we really have no long-term data these products are also marketed as being products that can help you quit smoking again we have no data to substantiate that as well and finally probably what's most concerning is we are hooking a whole new generation of young people onto nicotine the marketing strategies the packaging looks like candy flavors like cinnamon and mint and um even names like smooth or chill I mean really who are these products appealing to now we do know they contain nicotine what are some of the health concerns when it comes to that well nicotine has cardiovascular effects it increases your your heart rate increases your blood pressure it has effects on your GI system nausea vomiting um parodontal and gum disease young people if you're using these products just Google tobacco uh nicotine pouches and dental disease you'll spit it out right away addiction is at the top of the list and young brains are particularly vulnerable to that and then finally nicotine interacts with your cells to make you glucose and Insulin intolerant so it can increase your risk of diabetes in the long run you mentioned young people's brains what are the effects on Mental Health you say there are a few that we should be looking out for well so nicotine produces an immediate sense of relaxation but it's shortlived and when it wears off there's a spike in edginess in anxiety even stressful types of feelings and so it creates this vicious cycle because then you have cravings that want you to get that you know relaxation feeling again but in the end it ends up increasing your anxiety level and your stress level when you use these products so how do you know if you are addicted I mean what are the first signs that you should be worried about that well the first sign is are you having cravings because if you are having cravings it suggests that your brain is really hooked and you really are addicted to these products second are you using these products when you're sick are you using these products in places where you shouldn't be like school or church and then um finally you know after hearing all of these negative side effects do you still want to go out and use these products and if so maybe time to talk to a healthc care provider they don't serve you well you don't need these in your life all right Dr na Kamar thank you so much really really appreciate you coming on and talking to us about this real serious concern