Health groups warn that nicotine pouch promotions at Irish festivals target young people

Health advocates claim that nicotine-pouch manufacturers have flooded Irish music festivals with promotional activities, reaching an estimated 686,000 concertgoers this summer. Brands including Velo and Japan Tobacco International’s Nordic Spirit operated booths at Electric Picnic, Forbidden Fruit, All Together Now and Beyond the Pale, handing out free product, caps and sunglasses after visitors completed QR-code surveys.

Because a recent ban on cigarettes and e-cigarettes at pop-up stalls does not cover nicotine pouches, the products remain legally marketable at such events. The Department of Health said one outlet exemption will be reviewed as part of the Tobacco-Free Ireland policy overhaul, with a draft bill proposing an 18-plus age limit and advertising bans. Experts from the Irish Cancer Society and the University of Limerick warned that the high-nicotine, candy-flavoured pouches could foster addiction among young people and undermine tobacco-control gains.