Nicotine pouches
Welcome to our briefing on nicotine pouches and snus. Keep reading to find out the difference between nicotine pouches and snus, learn about health harms posed and find figures on the prevalence in the UK.
We also spotlight the use of nicotine pouches in sport, and how nicotine pouches are regulated in the UK.
Nicotine pouches vs snus
Nicotine pouches are teabag-like pouches filled with a fibrous white powder infused with nicotine and other ingredients such as sweeteners and flavourings. It is placed in the top lip, where it releases its nicotine and flavour. Nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco.
Snus (loose tobacco or tobacco in a pouch that is placed in the mouth similar to nicotine pouches) has a long history of use in Scandinavia. It is banned across the EU and UK since 1992. Only Sweden is currently exempt from the EU-wide snus ban.
Nicotine pouches are commonly confused with snus. They are not snus or chewing tobacco.
Nicotine pouch prevalence
UK data
Although the reported use prevalence of nicotine pouches remains low in the UK, there has been a rapid increase in use during the last few years.
UK survey data shows that in 2020, 2.7% of people have tried nicotine pouches which increased to 5.4% in 2024.
1% of people currently use nicotine pouches. 44% of people had never heard of them, and 56% had heard of nicotine pouches but never tried them.
Young people
A survey among young people aged 16-19 in England found that 6% had ever used nicotine pouches and 2% had used in the past 30 days in 2023, an increase of 1% and 0.3% respectively from 2022.
A likely factor contributing to the large increase in use and awareness are marketing campaigns with shop displays, bus banners and social media promotion.
Market growth
A UK market analysis report for 2023 reported a significant growth of the nicotine pouches sector for the second year running. In 2023 the two most popular nicotine pouches brands, Velo and Nordic Spirit grew by 121% and 54% respectively.
Health harms and cessation
Whilst there is limited research on the health effects of using nicotine pouches, research shows that snus (oral tobacco) is a health harming product.
Compared to smoking, snus is substantially less harmful. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of snus (tobacco pouch) for tobacco cessation, however, indicated weak evidence that snus
benefits cessation.
A 2010 review which compared snus to medicinal nicotine products for smoking cessation concluded that the use of snus maintained nicotine dependence.
A 2023 review concluded that, whilst there is no published data on the impact of nicotine pouches on oral health, prolonged regular use may give an increased risk of oral problems.
Nicotine is a health-harming substance which can be very addictive.
A health risk assessment on nicotine pouches by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment concluded that the main risk of using nicotine pouches is the high levels of nicotine which has strong effects on the cardiovascular system. Pouches also present high risks for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with cardiovascular disease.
There is insufficient research to assess how effective nicotine pouches are as a cessation product. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of snus (tobacco pouch) for tobacco cessation indicates that there is weak evidence that snus may promote cessation, whilst noting that existing stop-smoking aids may be better placed than snus to promote abstinence.
A review in 2010 that compared snus to medicinal nicotine products for cessation concluded that the use of snus appeared to maintain nicotine dependence.
Nicotine pouches in sport
- Social media and website content as well as brand advertisements have promoted nicotine pouches as performance enhancers for gaming and sports.
- An advert for a major nicotine pouch brand which implied mood-enhancement and a stimulation effect was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in 2021.
- There is little reliable evidence that nicotine has any meaningful performance-enhancing benefits in sports.
- A report by Loughborough University published in May 2024 found one in five (20%) professional footballers in England currently use and two in five (40%) have used nicotine pouches at least once.
Regulation
- In Scotland and the UK, nicotine pouches are not covered by tobacco or e-cigarette regulations. As they are covered by general consumer product safety regulations, nicotine pouches and nicotine gummies are not required to adhere to the same controls on advertising and retail displays as tobacco nor age of sale restrictions which are in place for cigarettes and nicotine containing e-cigarettes.
- Experts in issues relating to marketing, advertising and young people are concerned that nicotine pouches are positioned as trendy lifestyle brands, evidenced by their promotional material as well as content on social media and at music festivals.
- In March 2023, Belgium became the first nation in the EU to ban nicotine pouches, followed by the Netherlands a month later. Concerns about the increasing popularity of nicotine pouches are also echoed in many other European countries, the USA, Canada and Australia.
You can download a PDF file of the 'Nicotine pouches and snus' factsheet which includes references.
