Global sales of nicotine pouches increase six-fold due to 'aggressive promotion' by tobacco companies

'Transnational tobacco companies are aggressively promoting nicotine pouches, often emphasising flavours, convenience and discreet use,' report says.

Global sales of nicotine pouches have increased six-fold since 2020 due to “aggressive promotion” by tobacco companies and legal loopholes, a watchdog has warned.

The statistic was revealed as Ireland prepares to ban sales of nicotine pouches to under-18s in new legislation. 

The small sachets are filled with usually laboratory-made nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals. 

They are placed between the lip and gum.

They are sometimes described as the same as a Swedish product called snus, but snus contains tobacco.

Global sales are now predicted to reach $25bn (about €21bn) by 2028, according to Euromonitor data shared by STOP, a network of academic and public health organisations supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

“Transnational tobacco companies are aggressively promoting nicotine pouches, often emphasising flavours, convenience and discreet use,” it said.

The data was co-presented by Dr Sophie Braznell, a research associate and coordinator with the Tobacco Control Research Group in Britain.

“They come in a range of nicotine strengths,” she said. “In fact, far larger than traditional snus, having been identified with anywhere from 0 to 50mg of nicotine in the pouches.” 

She added: “A cigarette contains about 10 to 12mgs of nicotine.” 

Among short-term health risks she identified were addiction, gum disease, and harm to the developing brain.

Long-term risks are “largely unknown" so far, she cautioned. 

Nicotine pouches are not recommended as a quit-smoking aid by health bodies, she added.

“On the one hand they might prove useful to a smoker in reducing their harm if they make a complete switch to a nicotine pouch, but for the vast majority of people who have never used any tobacco or nicotine product, particularly children, they pose significant risks of addiction and harm,” she said.

Co-presenter Jorge Alday is a director at STOP in America for communications firm Vital Strategies.

He said the rapid growth in sales was “not an accident” globally.

“The best-selling pouch brands are products that were acquired by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, two of the world’s largest cigarette companies,” he said.

“Companies have been able to leverage their extensive global manufacturing, distribution and marketing machines to scale production and get nicotine pouches into bodegas, supermarkets or stores in our retail environments worldwide.” 

STOP warned governments "if left unregulated, the industry’s aggressive promotion could fuel a new wave of nicotine addiction and harms". 

Minister of state at the Department of Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said the new Irish law was written so legislation “does not have to be developed each time a new product comes onto the market”.

Some 3% of people aged 15 to 24 in Ireland use nicotine pouches, and 1% of all adults, a report on the bill said in April. It also said makers of one pouch reported "an almost five-fold" rise in sales between 2023 and 2024 here.