NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 23 — A rapidly expanding global market for nicotine pouches is raising alarm among public health experts, who warn that the products could be laying the groundwork for a “new generation of addiction” driven by aggressive marketing, weak regulation, and rising youth exposure.
A new brief by tobacco industry watchdog STOP says sales of nicotine pouches have surged by an estimated 660 per cent globally since 2020 and could reach USD25 billion by 2028, driven largely by multinational tobacco companies and a fast-growing consumer base in both high-income and emerging markets.
The report, Understanding Nicotine Pouches: Current Evidence and Industry Activity, draws on academic research, market data, and industry documents. It warns that in the absence of strong regulation, nicotine pouches are being aggressively marketed in ways that mirror earlier waves of tobacco and vaping expansion.
The brief says the market is heavily controlled by three major cigarette manufacturers — Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, and Altria Group — which together account for more than three-quarters of global sales.
The report says these firms are leveraging established global distribution systems and marketing strategies to accelerate uptake, while positioning nicotine pouches as discreet products that can be used “whenever, wherever,” including in places where smoking and vaping are restricted.
Another major player, Japan Tobacco International, is also cited for similar marketing approaches.
The brief notes that internal industry documents suggest growing reliance on “poly-use” — consumers using multiple nicotine products at once — which it says is driving a significant share of revenue growth across nicotine product lines.
Public health researchers warn that the industry is increasingly targeting young people through flavored products, social media campaigns, and messaging that links nicotine use to lifestyle themes such as friendship, romance, success, and discreet consumption.
In the United States, the report cites estimates that about 85 per cent of youth users prefer flavored nicotine pouches, particularly mint and fruit varieties, many with high nicotine concentrations.
Concerns have already prompted action in some countries. In Sweden, rising youth uptake has led the Public Health Agency to recommend including nicotine pouches in tobacco prevention strategies.
The report also highlights expansion into low- and middle-income countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, and the Philippines, where marketing and retail placement near schools have been documented in some settings.
Regulatory gaps and lobbying pressure
A key concern raised by the brief is the lack of consistent global regulation. In many countries, nicotine pouches remain lightly regulated or unregulated, allowing rapid market entry before governments can establish controls.
The report alleges that tobacco companies are actively lobbying governments to maintain regulatory gaps, sometimes promising increased tax revenue or investment in exchange for approval.
In Kenya, the brief notes that the industry threatens job losses if restrictions are imposed, a tactic researchers say mirrors previous tobacco industry responses to regulation worldwide.
Companies have also cited regulatory decisions, such as the US Food and Drug Administration’s 2025 authorization of certain pouch products in other markets, to influence international policy debates.
Health risks still uncertain
While long-term health impacts remain unclear, the report says emerging evidence points to short-term harms, including gum damage and exposure to carcinogenic compounds found in some products.
Nicotine itself remains a major concern, particularly for adolescents, as it can affect brain development up to the age of 25. Researchers also warn that inconsistent labeling and high-strength formulations may lead to excessive nicotine consumption, especially where multiple pouches are used simultaneously.
The brief also highlights a lack of evidence that nicotine pouches are effective cessation tools, noting instead a growing trend of dual and poly-use alongside cigarettes, vapes, and heated tobacco products.
Experts quoted in the report warn that the nicotine pouch market resembles earlier phases of tobacco and vaping expansion.
“This is yet another case of consumers paying tobacco companies to be part of a real-time experiment that will likely lead to addiction and health risks, especially among children and young people,” said Dr. Sophie Braznell, Research Associate at the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath and co-author of the brief.
She added that policy decisions should not rely on limited or industry-generated evidence, warning that much of the existing research focuses on older tobacco-based snus products rather than modern nicotine pouches.
Jorge Alday, Director of STOP at Vital Strategies, said the industry is pursuing a long-term strategy of expanding nicotine dependence across multiple product categories.
“Nicotine pouches are starting to look like little seeds of an epidemic that tobacco companies are planting everywhere,” he said. “Rather than helping end existing tobacco and vaping epidemics, they risk extending them.”
He warned that current marketing patterns resemble those seen before the global surge in youth vaping a decade ago, adding that delayed regulation could allow the pattern to repeat.
As nicotine pouches spread into new markets and age groups, public health advocates say governments face mounting pressure to act quickly to close regulatory loopholes.
The STOP brief notes that without stronger controls on marketing, nicotine strength, and youth access, nicotine pouches could become the latest addition to what experts describe as a growing global “menu” of addictive tobacco industry products — from cigarettes to vapes, heated tobacco, and now pouches.
