Sharp rise in nicotine pouch use among young adults

This includes a significant increase among young adults aged 16 to 24, researchers found.

Nicotine pouches are placed between the lip and gum to slowly release nicotine and come in a wide variety of different flavours.

Experts from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said the growing use of nicotine pouches is due to the “heavy and indiscriminate” marketing of the products.

They said the pouches should not be used by children or people who do not already smoke.

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Researchers wanted to assess the levels of use in Britain.

They examined data from the Smoking Toolkit study, including figures on almost 128,000 people aged 16 and over.

The figures revealed that the prevalence of nicotine pouch use has risen significantly in recent years – from an estimated 0.1% of the population being users in 2020 to 1% in 2025.

In 2022, an estimated 0.7% of 16 to 24-year-olds used these products. This rose to 4% in 2025.

But there was “no meaningful change” among people aged 35 and over during this time frame, according to the study, which was funded by Cancer Research UK.

Researchers said that use was higher among men, especially those aged 16 to 24, and among people who smoke or vape.

More than two thirds of people using nicotine pouches also used other nicotine products.

But 16% of users had never smoked regularly.

The research team, led by experts from University College London (UCL), also found that a rising proportion of smokers used the pouches during their most recent attempt to kick the habit – from 2.6% in 2020 to 6.5% in 2025.

“Nicotine pouch use has risen in Great Britain, primarily driven by sharp increases among young people, especially young men,” they wrote in The Lancet Public Health.

“Most users also smoked or vaped, and a growing proportion of smokers used pouches in attempts to quit smoking.

“These findings underscore the importance of implementing age-of-sale legislation for nicotine pouches and conducting research on their effectiveness for smoking cessation.”

Lead author Dr Harry Tattan-Birch, from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said: “The rise in nicotine pouch use has been driven almost exclusively by young people, especially young men, while use among adults over 35 remained stable and low.

“This may be due in part to aggressive advertising targeting this group on social media, billboards, in bars and train stations, and through sponsorships of motorsports and music festivals.

“Pouches have a substantially lower risk to health than cigarettes and are likely less harmful than e-cigarettes.

“However, they are not harmless and can currently be sold to children with no marketing restrictions and no cap on nicotine content.

“Our findings underscore the urgency of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will close this regulatory gap by ending sale to under-18s, restricting advertising, and providing powers to regulate flavours, packaging, and nicotine content.

“Proportionate measures are important to limit uptake among teenagers.”

Commenting on the study, Caroline Cerny, deputy chief executive of Ash, said: “The growing use of nicotine pouches is driven by the heavy and indiscriminate marketing of these products.

“Over the past year adverts have been plastered over buses, trains, and social media with giveaways at events popular with young people such as music festivals and shopping centres.

“While they are likely to be less harmful than cigarettes, they shouldn’t be used by children or people who don’t already smoke, due to the addictive nature of nicotine.

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill – currently going through Parliament – will give the Government new powers to restrict the sale of nicotine pouches to adults only and limit how they can be marketed.

“So, it’s vital that this Bill is passed as soon as possible to protect children’s health.”