Nicotine Pouch Use Has Tripled Since 2021

Nicotine Pouch Sales Have Tripled, but Health Evidence Lags Behind

Nicotine pouch use among American adults who already use tobacco more than tripled in three years, from about 3 in 100 in 2021 to roughly 1 in 10 in 2024, according to a new national survey study. Nearly a third of them have tried a pouch at least once, almost double the 2021 share of about 16%.

Nicotine pouches are small packets that sit between the lip and gum, sold as tobacco-free products. They reached the US market in 2016, and sales climbed from 327 million units in 2021 to 1,046 million in 2024. They are marketed as healthier than traditional tobacco products, but the researchers point out that independent evidence on their health effects is limited, and that much of the research showing lower toxicity than cigarettes came from the tobacco industry.

Published in the journal Addiction, the study also asked who is picking pouches up. The clearest answer was people who already use other tobacco, especially smokeless products such as chewing tobacco and snuff.

Two National Surveys Show Nicotine Pouch Use Climbing Since 2021

A team led by Ashley Merianos of the University of Cincinnati analyzed two online surveys run by the polling firm YouGov, one in early 2021 and one in spring 2024. YouGov picked panelists whose backgrounds matched a nationally representative sample of qualifying US adults, and everyone was 21 or older. Researchers recruited extra participants from several racial and ethnic groups, then weighted the results to reflect national patterns.

In 2021, 1,583 adults who had used tobacco in the past year took part. In 2024, 3,200 adults were polled whether or not they used tobacco, and 1,355 of them had used tobacco in the past year, matching the 2021 group so the two years could be compared fairly. Participants reported whether they had ever tried nicotine pouches and whether they used them now, meaning some days or every day. They also reported which other tobacco products they used, along with their age, sex, race or ethnicity, education, and income. Among the 2024 tobacco users, about 59% were men and roughly 71% were White.

Nicotine Pouch Use Rose in Nearly Every Group of Tobacco Users

Increases appeared in almost every group the researchers examined: men and women, younger and older adults, people with and without a college degree, and users of each tobacco product type. Among tobacco users ages 31 to 45, for example, trying a pouch rose from 26% to 43%. A few small groups had too few pouch users to measure change reliably.

Trying pouches was consistently more common than currently using them. Roughly two-thirds of the tobacco users who had tried one were not using one in 2024. The authors say that gap could reflect experimentation without continued use, people quitting after starting, or occasional use that the survey questions missed. Whether pouches are becoming a lasting habit remains unclear.

Smokeless Tobacco Users Show the Highest Nicotine Pouch Use

Among all 3,200 adults surveyed in 2024, tobacco users or not, about 11% had tried a pouch and nearly 3% used one currently. Men were far more likely than women to have tried them, at 15% versus 6%. Adults ages 21 to 45 (16% to 18%) also outpaced those over 60 (4%).

Smokeless tobacco users stood out most. About three-quarters of current smokeless users had tried a pouch, compared with 23% of tobacco users who did not use smokeless products, and current pouch use among smokeless users jumped from about 13% in 2021 to roughly 44% in 2024. Smokeless tobacco and pouches both sit between the lip and gum, and the authors say they may trigger similar nicotine cravings. For someone already used to that routine, a pouch may feel like a small step.

Cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users also had higher rates, though the link was weaker. About 10% of cigarette smokers and 18% of e-cigarette users were using pouches, compared with about 1% of adults who did not use those products. Among adults who used no tobacco, fewer than 4% had ever tried one.

Health Concerns and Marketing Questions Surround Rising Nicotine Pouch Use

Health researchers have raised several concerns. Some pouches contain nearly 50 milligrams of nicotine each, along with cancer-causing chemicals called tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Earlier studies cited by the authors have tied pouch use to nicotine dependence and side effects such as mouth sores, a sore throat, nausea, and upset stomach.

Marketing and social media may also be playing a role in the growing popularity, particularly among younger people. A 2026 analysis of 665 TikTok posts about ZYN, a popular brand, found that most were positive toward the product, many used humor or showed it in use, and they often featured people under 30. The new study did not test whether such content drove the increase, and the authors call for closer monitoring to see whether marketing explains it.

Pouches are most common among people already using other products, and the reasons remain unknown, whether marketing, flavors, or a belief that pouches are safer. Until independent research catches up, a “tobacco-free” label says little about safety.

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Disclaimer: This article summarizes a published research study and is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Anyone with questions about nicotine use, side effects, or quitting should talk with a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.

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