GB Pouch Use Revealed

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has recently complained that pouches are being marketed to children.

ASH says “The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will take comprehensive powers to control all nicotine products, including nicotine pouches. The Bill will allow the government to control the strength of pouches as well as implement an age limit making it illegal to sell them to anyone below 18. The Bill will also regulate the promotion of these products, limiting their appeal to children and young people.”

The research shows that if pouches are being marketed at children, the marketeers are doing a pretty poor job.

The new study was conducted in conjunction with ASH. The charity said it found: “About 1% of adults (18 and over) and youths (11–18-year-olds) report currently using a nicotine pouch.”

The research, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, comes as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has cleared the committee stage in the House of Commons. 

ASH says: “This bill will create an age of sale for nicotine pouches of 18, ban advertising and allow government to regulate the contents, branding and display of products. Nicotine pouches are small sachets designed to be placed between the upper lips and gums to release a flow of nicotine. Unlike similar products, such as snus, they do not contain tobacco.”

The charity states that data on the extent of pouch use “is scarce outside of the US”, but this ignores the studies demonstrating the highly successful impact of pouches in Scandinavia.

The research team wanted to establish changes in use over time in British adults.

ASH continues: “Researchers analysed data sourced from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Smokefree GB Adult Surveys 2020-2024, and the ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey 2024 to assess whether respondents had ever used a pouch, were currently using one, and a range of other socio-demographic information.”

Analysis of the data found that the number of GB adults who had ever used a pouch had doubled between 2020-24 to 5.4%. Importantly, only 1% of those replying said they currently used pouches. Researchers found similar levels of current use in youths, at 1.2%.

Professor Leonie Brose, Professor of Addictions & Public Health at King’s IoPPN and the study’s first author said: “Nicotine pouches inhabit a difficult space within regulatory frameworks. They do not contain tobacco and make no claims about having a medicinal benefit. As such, there is no minimum age of sale and no restriction on the marketing of these products. While use actually isn’t as widespread as sometimes stated in public conversation, proposed new regulation can help ensure it stays that way.”

Even though British pouch usage is minimal, ASH and the researchers are still urging caution. They claim that action needs to be taken because the data shows usage “appears to be increasing” and is higher in some groups, “including younger adults, males and people with experience of vaping, smoking and use of other addictive products”.

Some might postulate that the use of pouches to compliment vaping is a glowing example of reduced harm products working together to ensure ex-smokers remain free from tobacco use.

Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive Officer at ASH and the study’s last author said: “Nicotine pouches are less harmful than smoking and if used as an alternative to smoking can be positive for public health. However, in the absence of appropriate regulation there has been widespread promotion of products, targeting youth orientated events and venues. This has likely contributed to the disproportionate increase in use among younger people. The planned regulations in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill should address these loopholes in the law.”

References:

• Prevalence of nicotine pouch use among youth and adults in Great Britain – analysis of cross-sectional, nationally representative surveys (DOI.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae295) (Leonie Brose, Laura Bunce, Hazel Cheeseman) published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research

Photo Credit:

• Image generated by author using AI, KCL logo added

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.