But the rules around how the nicotine pouches are marketed is set to change.
Legislation passing through parliament – called the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – would ban their sale to anyone under 18, restrict how they are advertised, and give powers to regulate the flavours, packaging and nicotine they contain.
The study says this new regulation should be looked at carefully so that it doesn’t undermine any potential the pouches have to reduce the harms from smoking.
The researchers found that nearly three-quarters of current users of nicotine pouches are men, with half under the age of 25.
Around 6.5% of attempts to quit smoking in 2025 involved the use of pouches, they said.
It’s possible they are also being used to cut down or quit vaping, which is more popular than smoking in young people.
There was also a rise in their use in places where smoking is banned.
“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,” said Dr Tattan-Birch.
While they carry fewer health risks than cigarettes and vapes, 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.
In other countries, the rules on pouches are far more strict. Nicotine pouches are banned in Germany and the Netherlands, and soon to be banned in France.
