Oral Nicotine Pouches: Rising Popularity and State of the Science
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Nicotine pouches are noncombustible products that contain nicotine but no tobacco plant material. With rising popularity and increased media attention surrounding ZYN and other nicotine pouch brands, questions remain about whether empirical evidence exists on the public health effects of these products. This review highlights how nicotine pouches, including ZYN, are rising in appeal and prevalence of use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. The use of nicotine pouches is also more prevalent among people who use other tobacco products (vs those who do not), including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), and some people report using nicotine pouches to help reduce or quit the use of e-cigarettes or combustible tobacco products. Nicotine pouches deliver amounts of nicotine similar to other tobacco products and do so at a rate similar to other oral nicotine products, including some US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved nicotine replacement therapies. In addition, nicotine pouches have the potential to be tobacco harm-reduction products if unintended harms can be minimized, although more research is needed to determine the health effect profile of nicotine pouches under naturalistic use conditions. Overall, additional research is needed to verify the results from industry-funded studies, further understand product characteristics that influence nicotine delivery and health effects, and translate findings to real-world use behaviors. This additional research could help determine whether nicotine pouches have a robust evidence base to meet the public health standard by which FDA evaluates new tobacco products.
Source: Public Health Reports
Institutions: University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Westat (United States), University of Louisville, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Virginia Commonwealth University
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G2043478972, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Acute effects and substitution feasibility of an oral nicotine pouch in smokeless tobacco users, Personal Factors, Product Characteristics, and Changes in Biomarkers of Exposure Among Cigarette Smokers Who Switch to Noncombustible Tobacco Products, Examining the Effects of Advertising, Packaging and Labeling on Perceptions, Use and Exposure of Combustible Tobacco Products, Predicting and Understanding the Use of Nicotine Products In a Rapidly Evolving Nicotine Marketplace: The International Nicotine Product, Policy, and Market (INPAM) Study, Center for Coordination of Analysis, Science, Enhancement, and Logistics (CASEL) in Tobacco Regulatory Science, American Heart Association Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (A-TRAC) 2.0
OpenAlex ID: W4409892745