Study Finds Nicotine Pouch Use Rising Fast Across the U.S.

Prevention and Wellness Update

Nicotine pouches are gaining traction in the United States, with more Americans trying the non-tobacco products and increasingly becoming regular users, according to a new study.

More than 10% of Americans, or 10.2%, have tried a nicotine pouch, researchers reported in the journal Addiction.

Among people who already use tobacco — including smokers, vapers, and chewing tobacco users — about 1 in 10 were using nicotine pouches in 2024. That was more than three times the 3% who used them in 2021, the study found.

The rapid rise is notable because nicotine pouches first reached the U.S. market a decade ago, in 2016, the researchers said.

“Our data show that what was once considered a niche nicotine product is becoming a mainstream product among U.S. adult tobacco users,” said lead researcher Ashley Merianos, a professor of human promotion and education at the University of Cincinnati.

Researchers said nicotine pouches contain a powder made of nicotine, flavorings and other ingredients. The pouch is placed between the upper or lower lip and the gum, where saliva releases the nicotine and allows it to be absorbed into the body.

For the study, the team analyzed survey responses from nearly 4,800 people who took part in the YouGov online panel in 2021 and 2024.

The findings suggest that more tobacco users are turning to nicotine pouches as an alternative.

Overall, nearly one-third of tobacco users, or 31%, have tried a nicotine pouch at least once, almost double the 16% who had done so by 2021.

“Nicotine pouch use is increasing rapidly,” Merianos said in a university news release.

Use was more common among men and younger adults ages 21 to 45, the researchers found.

People who currently use tobacco products were also more likely to be using nicotine pouches, especially those who already use smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco, SNUS and snuff.

“Smokeless tobacco users were the most likely to use nicotine pouches, indicating overlap between traditional oral tobacco products and newer nicotine pouch products,” Merianos said. “Dual- and poly-tobacco use remain important concerns, as our study showed that many nicotine pouch users also report using other tobacco products.”

The trend among young adults is especially concerning, researchers said, because the human brain is not fully developed until age 25. Nicotine can affect the developing brain and raise the risk of addiction over time, they noted.

“We don’t yet know the long-term health consequences, and we also don’t know the long-term addiction potential,” Merianos said. “If a young adult who has never smoked or used smokeless tobacco starts using nicotine pouches, will they become addicted to nicotine? And will they then switch to other products? That’s what we’re trying to figure out in the long term.”

For now, public health officials need to keep watching new nicotine products as they reach the market, Merianos said.

“The tobacco industry is very strategic,” she said. “They are always going to have new marketing tactics and new products. Look at what happened with electronic cigarettes. Now there are these nicotine pouches, which are exploding on the market.”

SOURCE: University of Cincinnati, news release

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