Australia has tightened its laws to try to stem the tide of nicotine pouches flooding across the border, with millions of the illegal products being sold by dodgy retailers across the country.

Despite being illegal, the products are easy to order online and growing in popularity, particularly among young people.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australian bans nicotine pouches completely

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The teabag-like packages hold nicotine salts which — when placed under the lip — release the highly addictive chemical into the bloodstream.

Professor Lisa Wood from Notre Dame University says the pouches are particularly concerning because of how easily they can be concealed.

“The pouch is very insidious in terms of people can use it indoors, they can use it under their lip in a classroom,” she said.

Overseas, the products are hugely popular and legal. The White House this week used its official TikTok account to celebrate the opening of a new factory.

But the Australian government takes a very different view.

“We don’t know if they’re safe,” Chris Bedford from the Therapeutic Goods Administration said.

“They were starting to be seen in retail outlets all over the country, including in places like ice cream shops.”

Unregulated, they can include enormous doses of nicotine and unknown chemicals.

While they’ve always been illegal in Australia, they could technically be prescribed. The TGA has now changed that, outlawing them completely, prescription or not.

The change closes an import loophole, allowing Border Force to seize every shipment they detect.

Researchers say it’s the first time in years that Australia’s illicit nicotine laws have actually had any teeth.

“Whatever the big industry comes up with next, we’ve got things in place,” Wood said. “The wording is so broad, they’re not going to get away with it.”

The TGA urges people to report illegal sales and to visit quit.org.au for help giving up.