Nicotine Pouches: A New Product for Smokers

One new product steadily growing within the US market is the nicotine pouch. According to nicotine pouch statistics by Tobacco Control , around 30% of adults who smoke had ever seen or heard of nicotine pouches, with 5.6% having tried the product, and 16.8% of respondents expressing interest in using pouches.

People who planned to quit smoking were particularly interested in using nicotine pouches, viewing it as a better way to help them quit smoking over traditional methods. However, given the novelty of this product, it's important that interested people first learn about nicotine pouches before using them.

What are nicotine pouches?

Similar to snus pouches, nicotine pouches are designed to be placed between the lip and gum without the need for spitting. Unlike snus, however, nicotine pouches are tobacco-free and are kept in the form of dehydrated nicotine, which doesn't need to stay cold. These often contain flavorings and sweeteners, often marketed in colorful packaging that resembles mint containers. Users can purchase pouches with different nicotine concentrations depending on their preference.

The amount of nicotine present

When looking for the best kick, users reference the nicotine content present in the pack. According to a blog post published on Prilla , nicotine pouches have a lower overall amount of nicotine compared to alternatives like snus or snuff but deliver nicotine just as quickly. Flavored nicotine pouches with higher nicotine levels weren't more likely to cause overuse. Given its strength, people transitioning from cigarettes and smokeless tobacco can opt for pouches with higher levels of nicotine (such as 6mg or 8mg) to achieve a similar kick without the additional adverse effects.

The health benefits of nicotine pouches

Smoking is often said to cause lung cancer. While many people assume that it's because smoke increases exposure to carcinogens that leads to DNA mutations, this popular theory is wrong. Our post called 'New Discovery on the Cause of Lung Cancer' notes that rather than developing cancer from exposure, the hazardous smoke triggers a 'wound healing response' that causes inflammation. This triggers cells that already have an existing DNA mutation, forming cancer. Since smoking is a bad habit, it's crucial for people who want to live healthier lives to quit.

As part of quitting, many people have turned to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to ease the process. Studies like those conducted by Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health on NRT found that it's effective in ceasing tobacco addiction, especially when combined with other help such as cognitive behavior therapy and oral health education. As a result, nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarette vapes by JUUL have risen in popularity. However, despite being 'cleaner' than smoking, vapor inhalation has been found to affect both the lungs through e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury and the bloodstream through changes to platelets. After just short-term exposure to e-cigarettes, it causes hyperactivation of platelets, which may lead to harmful clots in arteries that block blood flow.

On the other hand, nicotine pouches eliminate problems associated with the lungs as it's taken orally. While more research is needed, existing studies point towards nicotine pouches as less harmful than other tobacco products and an effective tool for smokers and other tobacco users to reduce or stop tobacco use.