- Young people in Scandinavia are placing
nicotine pouches, meant for inside the upper lip, in their buttholes and foreskins to see if they feel its effects. - Some users say their nicotine cravings disappeared, while other say they only feel burning sensations and get rashes and swelling.
Health experts warn against the trend, which can cause skin damage and lead to addiction.
People are stuffing nicotine pouches into their anuses and penis foreskins to see if it causes a buzz, Vice reported. Health officials are warning against the trend, which they say can lead to swelling, burning, and damaged skin.
According to online forum threads and reports from Denmark's National Health Institute, an increasing number of Scandinavians are experimenting with the substance.
Nicotine pouches, called "snus" in Scandinavian countries, are typically placed inside the upper lip. Though they may seem like a safer alternative to smoking a vape or cigarette, health experts say nicotine pouches come with their own risks, including skin irritation, addiction, and gum disease.
In an interview with Danish outlet DR, 19-year-old Oliver Arenshøj said he and his friends placed snus under their foreskins because they were curious about how it would affect them. He said the only effects he noticed were a burning sensation and a rash the next day, so he wouldn't try it again.
In the same article, Danish health expert Charlotte Rømer said she'd heard a similar story from a patient.
"They got drunk and one forgot to take out the nicotine pouch again," Rømer told DR. "The next morning he woke up and his penis was red and very swollen and hurting. It was the first and last time he tried it."
In addition to negative physical sensations, Danish National Institute of Public Health Director Morten Grønbæk told DR people should abstain from the trend because it can lead to addiction.
In one forum, someone who experimented with nicotine in their butthole said their craving for the substance disappeared after a few minutes.
When a person uses nicotine pouches as intended under the lip, nicotine enters the blood stream through mucus membranes in the area. Rømer said the same reaction could occur if nicotine is placed in the butthole and foreskin, since these areas also contain mucus membranes.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, placing nicotine in contact with skin for an extended period of time could cause swelling and rashes. Prolonged nicotine use could also cause a person's skin to age more rapidly and prevent skin wounds from healing.