Nicotine pouches rise among young men in Britain, study finds

Nicotine pouch use in Great Britain has risen sharply, driven by young men, according to a Lancet Public Health study. The survey of about 128,000 adults between 2020 and 2025 found that roughly 4% of people aged 16 to 24 used nicotine pouches by 2025, with about 7.5% of 16- to 24-year-old men using the products.

Nicotine pouches are small, white, teabag-like sachets that contain synthetic nicotine rather than tobacco. They sit under the upper lip and are sold in round, brightly colored tins. Most users also smoke or vape, and a growing number are using pouches to cut down or quit smoking, according to the researchers.

Researchers tracked 128,000 British adults aged 16 and over from October 2020 to March 2025. They found that nearly three-quarters of current users are men, and about half are under 25. More than two-thirds of users also used other nicotine products, such as cigarettes or vapes. The study notes that 6.5% of smoking-cessation attempts in 2025 involved pouches, suggesting some people turn to pouches as part of quitting, though more research is needed to assess effectiveness.

Public health implications are complex. The authors caution that, while nicotine pouches carry fewer health risks than cigarettes and may be less harmful than vapes in some scenarios, they are not risk-free. High-nicotine products can pose cardiovascular risks and can damage gums. The study also highlights concerns that pouches could act as a gateway to smoking for non-smokers. "Marketing of nicotine pouches has been heavily targeted at spaces and platforms that disproportionately reach young men, including sponsorship of Formula 1 teams, promotion at music festivals, reports of use among professional footballers, and influencer marketing aimed at male audiences," said Dr Harry Tattan-Birch, a senior researcher at University College London and the study's lead author. He added that "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."

Legislation moving through Parliament — the Tobacco and Vapes Bill — would ban sales to under 18s, restrict how they are advertised, and give regulators powers to limit flavours, packaging and nicotine content. The researchers say the new rules should be designed carefully so they do not undermine any potential the pouches have to reduce harm from smoking. Proportionate measures are important to limit uptake among teenagers.

In the UK, because nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco, they can legally be sold to under-18s and are often placed near sweets in corner shops. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is expected to clamp down on sales of nicotine pouches and vapes to young people, but implementation is not expected for several months. In other countries, the rules are far stricter: nicotine pouches are banned in Germany and the Netherlands, and France has moved to ban them; Australia regulates them by prescription.

There is broad agreement among researchers that pouches carry fewer health risks than cigarettes but are not harmless. Short-term side effects can include lightheadedness, nausea, bleeding gums and vomiting. Some researchers and campaigners also warn that pouches could keep people hooked on nicotine or raise concerns about their use as a substitute for proven cessation methods. Dr Tattan-Birch emphasized that "getting the balance right, discouraging uptake among young people, without making pouches so restricted that people are pushed back towards more harmful products like cigarettes" is essential. Researchers also call for age-of-sale provisions and more research on whether pouches can help people quit, while noting that in the United States, studies have linked nicotine pouches to poisoning in children and that ongoing work is needed to understand long-term heart and oral health effects.