Nicotine pouch sales surge among young people, watchdog warns

Flavoured, promoted on social media, discreet and unregulated: sales of addictive nicotine pouches are booming among youth. A global tobacco industry watchdog, STOP, warns that this could lead to a new wave of nicotine addiction. The market of nicotine pouches — small sachets of nicotine placed between the gum and lip — is rapidly expanding thanks to regulatory loopholes and marketing tactics, including social media campaigns, flavourings and sports sponsorships, with youth being particularly vulnerable, a new brief published Tuesday by STOP warned. An estimated 34 billion nicotine pouches were sold globally in 2025, up 660% from 2020, the report found. The global market is projected to reach nearly $16 billion (€13.8b) by 2027 and $25 billion (€21.6b) by 2028. That is "extremely profitable," Sophie Braznel, research associate and coordinator at the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath in the UK and co-author of the brief, said during a press briefing. The market is dominated by the world's largest cigarette manufacturers, including Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT), which each controlled roughly one-third of the global pouch market in 2025. The booming market is "not an accident," said Jorge Alday, director of STOP and co-author of the brief. He argued that tobacco companies have exploited regulatory gaps while aggressively marketing the products to both existing nicotine users and new consumers, including youth. Free samples of an addictive product Nicotine pouches contain harmful carcinogens, toxicants and addictive nicotine, Braznell said. Despite those risks, the report found evidence of online sales, promotions near schools and the distribution of free pouch samples in several countries. In the UK, nicotine pouch brands, including Velo, Nordic Spirit and Zyn, have offered free samples to consumers via their online stores, events and representatives handing them out in city centres, according to the brief. “Imagine a company thinking it's okay to give a free sample of an addictive product,” Alday said. "That's what public health is facing." Companies also market pouches in flavours ranging from mint and fruit to coffee, spice and tobacco. Even in markets where flavours are restricted, manufacturers have introduced alternative names such as "Rush," "Blast," "Frost," "Exotic Black" and "Urban Vibe," Alday said. Other tactics include associating pouches with friendship, an active lifestyle, romance and success through marketing campaigns reaching millions, including children and young people. Alday pointed to Formula 1 sponsorships by PMI and BAT: “This marketing reaches hundreds of millions of F1 fans, including millions of children and young people tuning into race broadcasts and consuming entertainment and social media content." Social media influencers have also played a role in promoting nicotine pouches, especially among youth. Social media marketing of BAT's Velo nicotine pouches reached more than 10 million teens under age 18, between 2018 and 2023, according to the brief. “Social media of course is an incredibly useful and powerful tool if you want to reach young people,” Alday said. “BAT, PMI and Japan Tobacco have all used social media influencers with followers ranging from 24,000 to 12 million to promote nicotine pouches.” The report also argues that the discreet nature of nicotine pouches makes them particularly attractive to young people because they can be used in places where smoking or vaping is prohibited. "The marketing strategy works," Alday said. "It is about making more and more money as people consume more and more nicotine through a whole range of products." Regulatory vacuum A booming market for nicotine pouches is outpacing regulation across Europe and beyond, which allows tobacco companies to expand sales among consumers, including youth. In some countries, pouches are neither explicitly authorised nor prohibited, creating a regulatory vacuum. "The industry can use these ambiguities to slip into countries and sow the seeds of addiction before regulators can catch up," Alday said. The report also accuses tobacco companies of lobbying policymakers and using investment promises, economic incentives and warnings about illicit trade to shape regulatory debates. STOP is calling on governments to bring nicotine pouches under stricter regulatory oversight, including age restrictions, advertising bans, plain packaging requirements, flavour prohibitions, nicotine concentration limits and higher taxes. The recommendations broadly align with guidance from the World Health Organisation and come as EU policymakers are ironing out how emerging nicotine products should be regulated.