In recent years, the streets, social feeds, and even the sports arenas of Great Britain have witnessed the rapid rise of a new nicotine product: the nicotine pouch. Once a niche item, these small, white sachets—tucked discreetly under the lip—have become a fixture among young adults, especially young men. According to a wave of new research published in Lancet Public Health and reported by BBC, The Guardian, and other leading outlets, the number of Britons using nicotine pouches has soared to over half a million, with the sharpest uptick seen among those aged 16 to 24.
The numbers are striking. In 2020, a mere 0.1% of people aged 16 and over in England, Scotland, and Wales reported using nicotine pouches. Fast forward to 2025, and that figure has jumped to 1%—equivalent to about 522,000 people, as noted by researchers from University College London (UCL). Delving deeper, the surge is even more pronounced among the younger crowd: 0.7% of 16- to 24-year-olds used these products in 2022, but by March 2025, that number had rocketed to 4%. Among young men specifically, the rate is even higher, with 7.5% reporting use compared to just 1.9% of young women.
So, what’s driving this sudden popularity? The answer, it appears, lies in the marketing playbook. Dr. Harry Tattan-Birch, a lead researcher from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, explained to BBC that the rise has been “driven almost exclusively by young people, especially young men, while use among adults over 35 remained stable and low.” He points to “aggressive and targeted” advertising strategies—think sponsorships of Formula 1 teams, music festivals, and professional footballers, as well as influencer campaigns and a heavy presence on social media. These efforts, he says, have “heavily targeted spaces and platforms that disproportionately reach young men.”
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), a prominent UK charity, echoed these concerns. Caroline Cerny, Ash’s deputy chief executive, told The Guardian that “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.”
But the marketing blitz isn’t the whole story. The research, which drew on data from nearly 130,000 participants in the Smoking Toolkit study, found that most pouch users—more than two-thirds—also smoke or vape. In fact, the products are increasingly being used as aids in attempts to quit smoking. The proportion of smokers who used pouches in their most recent quit attempt rose from 2.6% in 2020 to 6.5% in 2025. Dr. Tattan-Birch and his colleagues wrote in 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.”
Yet, not all users are current or former smokers. The studies found that 16% of pouch users had never smoked regularly, raising alarms about the potential for nicotine addiction among individuals who might otherwise have avoided nicotine altogether. This concern is amplified by the fact that, until now, there have been virtually no restrictions on the sale or marketing of nicotine pouches in the UK—meaning children and teenagers could easily access them.
Health experts are quick to point out that while nicotine pouches are “likely to be less harmful than cigarettes,” as Cerny put it, they are not harmless. The pouches contain synthetic nicotine (not tobacco), which means they lack many of the carcinogenic substances found in cigarettes. However, nicotine itself is highly addictive, and high doses can pose cardiovascular risks and cause gum damage. Dr. Tattan-Birch warned, “There are cardiovascular risks for people using pouches with high quantities of nicotine—and there is growing concern over the damage nicotine pouches do to gums.”
The regulatory landscape, however, is on the brink of a major shift. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently moving through the UK Parliament, aims to close the “regulatory gap” that has allowed the nicotine pouch market to flourish unchecked. If passed, the bill would ban sales to anyone under 18, restrict advertising, and grant authorities the power to regulate flavours, packaging, and nicotine content. “Proportionate measures are important to limit uptake among teenagers,” Dr. Tattan-Birch emphasized, noting that the right balance must be struck: “The key is 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.”
Internationally, rules on nicotine pouches are much stricter. The products are banned outright in Germany and the Netherlands, and France is expected to follow suit soon. UK researchers and public health advocates argue that, while outright prohibition may not be warranted given the potentially lower risk profile of pouches compared to cigarettes, strong regulation is essential to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.
The debate over nicotine pouches touches on broader questions about harm reduction and youth protection. On the one hand, some experts see them as a useful tool for smokers looking to quit, especially since they “have a substantially lower risk to health than cigarettes and are likely less harmful than e-cigarettes,” according to Dr. Tattan-Birch. On the other, the aggressive marketing and lack of age restrictions have opened the door for widespread use among non-smokers and teenagers—an outcome few in public health would support.
Caroline Cerny summed up the prevailing sentiment among health advocates: “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… 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.”
As Parliament debates the future of nicotine pouches, the data is clear: their use is rising fast, driven by aggressive marketing and a youthful audience. The coming months will reveal whether new regulations can stem the tide—or if another generation will find itself hooked on a new form of nicotine.
