United Kingdom: Nicotine pouch consumption is rising sharply among young men

According to a recent study representative of the population aged 16 and over, published in The Lancet Public Health[1], The prevalence of nicotine pouch use in the UK is projected to increase from approximately 0.1% of the general population in 2020 to 1% in 2025, representing over half a million users. This growth is primarily driven by Generation Z, with approximately 4% of 16-24 year olds reporting use of these products in 2025, compared to 0.7% in 2022. A significant proportion of users (approximately 16%) have never regularly smoked cigarettes, and a majority of users combine nicotine pouch use with other nicotine products, such as cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

The analysis is based on data from the study published in The Lancet Public Health, The study, which used data from a population-representative cross-sectional survey in Great Britain conducted between October 2020 and March 2025, with a total sample of 127,793 people aged 16 and over, estimated the current prevalence of nicotine pouch use for the entire population and for several subgroups defined by age, sex, and smoking or vaping behaviors. The study is funded by Cancer Research UK and uses data from the survey. Smoking Toolkit Study, a monitoring system for behaviors related to tobacco and nicotine products in the United Kingdom.

A marked generational diffusion, driven by young men

The data shows a clear increase in the use of nicotine pouches in the UK population, with current prevalence estimated at around 11% of the population aged 16 and over in 2025, compared to 0.1% in 2020 – an increase of half a million people. This increase is particularly pronounced among young adults: among 16-24 year olds, use is projected to rise from 0.7% in 2022 to 4% in 2025, and it is even higher among young men in this age group, with a rate of around 7.5% in 2025, compared to 1.9% among young women in the same age group. Conversely, use remains low and stable among adults aged 35 and over during this period. Furthermore, a growing proportion of smokers are using nicotine pouches in their attempts to reduce or quit smoking, increasing from 0.4 per 1,000 attempts in 2020 to 1.7 per 1,000 attempts in 2025, suggesting diversified uses of these products. These trends are occurring within a context of particularly aggressive marketing, including promotional campaigns on social media, advertising in public transportation, and sponsorship of events likely to attract younger generations. All of these factors underscore the importance of increased attention from public health authorities regarding the growing use of these products among young adults, the study authors emphasize.

Nicotine addiction maintained by the coexistence of different products

The study results indicate that nicotine pouch use is most often part of a pattern of multiple substance use. Nearly 69% of users reported simultaneously using at least one other nicotine product. Among them, 56.4% continued to smoke combustible cigarettes and 38.8% also used e-cigarettes, revealing patterns of dual or even triple use, rather than simply replacing one product with another. These data suggest that nicotine pouches do not primarily replace existing products but are used in addition to them, contributing to the maintenance, or even the reinforcement, of an overall nicotine addiction.

The study also highlights that 15.6% of nicotine pouch users have never been regular smokers, raising questions about the potential role of these products in initiating nicotine use. From a public health perspective, these findings call into question the positioning of nicotine pouches as harm reduction tools, as promoted by their manufacturers, and underscore the need for increased vigilance regarding the risks of normalizing nicotine addiction, particularly among young adults. Furthermore, the question arises, in the short or long term, of the potential gateway effect of these products, especially towards tobacco products.

A regulatory imperative in the face of rapidly expanding uses

The rapid increase in the use of nicotine pouches, particularly among young adults, raises significant regulatory challenges and highlights the limitations of existing frameworks in the face of emerging nicotine products. The authors emphasize the need for a proactive regulatory response to prevent these products from contributing to the long-term normalization of nicotine consumption, especially among young people with no history of smoking. They specifically recommend strict controls on access to these products, strong restrictions on marketing and promotion, and continuous monitoring of their distribution and use within the population.

In this context, several countries have already adopted restrictive measures, or even bans, to prevent the emergence of a new dynamic of nicotine addiction. In Europe, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have banned the sale of nicotine sachets, given the worrying signs related to their appeal to young people and the lack of proven benefits for smoking cessation at the population level. These choices are part of a precautionary approach aimed at protecting younger generations and preventing the establishment of a new epidemic of nicotine consumption, which could jeopardize the progress made in the fight against smoking. Nicotine sachets are indeed characterized by high nicotine levels, and the resulting addiction also raises the issue of the lack of therapeutic options available for users wishing to quit these products.

The authors also call for increased independent data collection, better documentation of multiple consumption trajectories, and the integration of nicotine pouches into comprehensive addiction prevention strategies. From a public health perspective, these recommendations converge on the need to anticipate strategies for diversifying the supply of nicotine and to guarantee coherent regulatory frameworks based on protecting health, preventing initiation, and denormalizing nicotine use in all its forms.

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[1] Oral nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a repeat cross-sectional study, 2020–25, Tattan-Birch, Harry et al. The Lancet Public Health, Volume 0, Issue 0

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