RESEARCH ALERT
Some vapes use added chemicals to create a cold or icy feeling. New research has raised concerns about three of them: WS-23, WS-3 and WS-5. We do not yet know how common they are in Wales.
Information / New & emerging products
New & emerging products
Nicotine, vape and drug markets change quickly. Use this hub to understand the main product families, what names mean, where the risks differ and where to find more detailed guidance.
For newly identified products, changing evidence and current Welsh safety signals, use our Emerging Product Alerts. Seeing a product online or in one setting does not tell us how common it is among young people in Wales.
Last reviewed: 27th September 2026
START HERE
The name on the packet is not always the whole story.
New products can look like ordinary vapes, pouches, strips, sweets or familiar branded items. Illicit products may also contain a different substance from the one advertised. Some newer products use synthetic nicotine, while others use nicotine analogues or other nicotine-like chemicals rather than nicotine itself. Use reliable information and avoid guessing from appearance alone.
Nicotine products
What is nicotine?
The basics: addiction, relative harm, where nicotine appears and why product type matters.
Nicotine pouches
Tobacco-free pouches placed under the lip, including strength, dependence and the difference between pouches and snus.
Nicotine addiction
How repeated nicotine use changes cravings, withdrawal and behaviour.
Heated tobacco
Tobacco sticks and devices that heat tobacco rather than burn it like a cigarette.
Snus vs nicotine pouches
They look similar, but snus contains tobacco and nicotine pouches do not.
Strips, pearls & new nicotine products
Oral and dissolvable nicotine formats beyond vapes and pouches, including strips, pearls and nicotine toothpicks.
Vapes, cannabis & unexpected contents
Spice & synthetic cannabinoids
Why products sold as THC, CBD or cannabis vapes can sometimes contain synthetic cannabinoids instead.
Vaping
A broad guide to health, quitting, young people, legal products and support.
Illegal tobacco & vapes
How illegal products differ from legal retail products and what concerns can be reported.
THC & cannabis vapes
Why illicit cannabis vapes may contain something different from what the label says, including Spice.
What’s in a vape?
What legal e-liquids usually contain, how aerosol is made and what UK product rules require.
Terms and products you may hear about
Current and emerging terms include nicotine pouches, snus, nicotine strips, nicotine pearls, nicotine toothpicks, synthetic nicotine, nicotine analogues, THC/cannabis vapes and synthetic cannabinoids. This page groups them by product type; the linked guides hold the detail.
For schools & youth settings
You do not need to identify every chemical to respond well. Start with what you can see, what the young person says happened and whether anyone is unwell.
Vaping in schools
Practical guidance for school policy, conversations, incidents and support.
Nicofiends
Prevention resources that help young people notice pressure, marketing and nicotine tricks.
Reliable Wales-wide support
WEDINOS
Current Welsh information on substances identified through the national drug-testing programme.
DAN 24/7
Free bilingual drug and alcohol information and support for people in Wales, families and professionals.
ASH Wales resources
Lesson plans, leaflets, toolkits and explainers for schools, parents, professionals and communities.