From cessation to celebration: Nicotine pouches go viral on TikTok
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-May-2026 13:16 ET (19-May-2026 17:16 GMT/UTC)
While originally created as a way to help people stop smoking, a UBC Okanagan researcher is raising concerns about oral nicotine pouches being portrayed as trendy and pleasurable, especially among young people.
Dr. Laura Struik, Associate Professor in UBCO’s School of Nursing, recently published a study examining how the social media platform TikTok appears to promote nicotine pouches, particularly the brand Zyn, as a lifestyle rather than a way to quit smoking.
A Swansea University academic has been honoured with the prestigious SEMI Academia Impact Award, recognising his outstanding contributions to semiconductor research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration in Europe.
Newcastle University's work transforming the understanding, diagnosis and care of people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies has won the UK’s highest national honor for universities. The prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education are awarded by the monarch every two years in recognition of world-class excellence and achievement at academic institutions. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, affecting an estimated 130,000 people in the United Kingdom and researchers at Newcastle University have transformed global understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition.
The new guideline outlines evidence-based recommendations on 11 high-priority topics to guide outpatient care for adults with TBI in the first six months after injury. Topics include assessment, education, referrals, and early treatment. Considerations for older adults, survivors of intimate partner violence, athletes, and military service members are also provided.
The Israel Observatory on Femicide, directed by Prof. Shalva Weil from the Seymour Fox School of Education at the Hebrew University, reports a troubling surge in femicide across Israel, with 32 women killed because they were women since January. The data point to rising firearm-related murders and distinct cultural dynamics influencing the patterns of violence. The Observatory calls on policymakers to act swiftly to prevent further loss of life.