Caffeine pouch craze: A teenage trend troubling some experts

A growing number of US teenagers are using caffeine pouches to get an energy rush, say experts who worry the trend could soon take off in the UK.

The small teabag-like pouches, placed between the lip and gum, deliver a quick caffeine hit, straight to the bloodstream.

Some social media influencers are pushing products, recommending them to gym-goers for performance or to students who want to be alert for exams.

TikTok Shop sells lots of brands and flavours that could appeal to young people, says Dr Rob van Dam from George Washington University.

But with a single pouch containing as much caffeine as two cups of regular coffee, it could be easy to take too much and get bad side effects, he says.

There is already growing concern in the UK about young people using nicotine pouches or snus.

Caffeine pouches are also discreet – you may not be able to tell if someone has one in their mouth – making it easy to hide from parents and teachers.

Some fans of the product boast online about “buzzing” from using two pouches at once for an extra big caffeine rush.

As caffeine is rapidly absorbed, the effects may begin minutes after ingestion and last for a number of hours. Levels can go out of control.

Dr van Dam told BBC News: “Young people may have less tolerance to caffeine and there’s a chance they could end up in the emergency room if they have too much.”