Health officials have warned about a spike in hospitalisations from children swallowing potent nicotine pouches.
The small teabag-like pouches - known as snus - are wedged between a person's gums and upper lip, and are traditionally used as an aid to stop smoking.
But they have seen a recent boom in popularity among young men, who may have swapped from vaping or are trying nicotine for the first time.
Snus is currently an unregulated product and is often advertised and packaged in a similar way to vapes with vibrant colours and fruit-based flavours.
NHS data, obtained by The Telegraph under freedom of information laws, shows an exponential increase in hospitalisations from nicotine pouch ingestion or overdoses.
Adult cases have increased from three in 2022 to 11 in 2023 and 23 in 2024. Child hospitalisations have also spiked to 12 in 2024, more than in the previous three years combined.
Prof Michael Eddleston, a consultant toxicologist and clinical lead for the National Poisons Information Service, said: "While nicotine pouches may present a reduced risk compared to conventional cigarettes for adult smokers looking to quit, they are not harmless products.
"These pouches still provide an active dose of nicotine and can cause poisoning if misused, particularly in children who may be attracted to their appearance and flavouring.
"The symptoms of nicotine poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, and in severe cases, seizures. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their lower body weight, meaning smaller amounts of nicotine can cause more serious effects.
"We would encourage parents and caregivers to store these products safely away from children, just as they would with any other potentially harmful substance. Anyone concerned about nicotine poisoning should seek immediate medical advice."
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will seek to regulate the products for the first time as there is currently no maximum allowed strength. Snus can often contain as much as 150mg of nicotine per pouch, which is 15 times the maximum strength allowed in a single cigarette.
An open call for evidence from the Department of Health and Social Care, published this week, said there is "emerging evidence of increased use of nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, among young people in Great Britain, particularly younger men".
Officials called the trend "especially concerning" because of the susceptibility of young brains and lungs to nicotine.
The Government is in the process of writing regulations to restrict maximum nicotine strength, as well as to understand the risks of heavy metals being present in the pouches.
Single-use vapes have been banned and the bill is hoping to also ban the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products.
It also intends to regulate flavours, packaging, and how and where vapes and nicotine products are displayed in shops.
Trading Standards warned in the summer that shops are legally selling addictive nicotine pouches to children.
Officers said the pouches currently "fall between the gap" of regulation, meaning it is not defined as a tobacco or nicotine product, and shops can legally sell them to a child of any age.
Kate Pike, of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, told The Telegraph: "We are really concerned by this new NHS data showing an increase in poisonings caused by nicotine pouches.
"We really need a robust regulatory framework for these products as soon as possible and clear communications to users and parents so they know what to look for and what to avoid."
Prof Crawford Moodie, an expert on social marketing at the University of Stirling, said the vape ban could see more children using pouches in the future.
"For children and adolescents, the fact that these products currently fall under general consumer product safety regulations, with no restrictions on age of sale, makes them more accessible than other nicotine products," he said.
"That they are easy to use, discreet, produce no smoke or vapour, and are available at low prices and multiple flavours, likely increases their appeal."