Nicotine bags are increasingly discovered by people who smoke

Can you remember when you first heard about nicotine bags? Maybe it was a friend who told you about it, or you read about it on the internet. However you found out about the smokeless and tobacco-free alternative to nicotine, you are not alone. A recent survey by pouches.eu shows that more people than ever know about nicotine pouches, and many of them are smokers.

Why this survey?

We wanted to find out people's attitudes towards tobacco-free alternatives to smoking. Before our study, there was very little information on interest in and awareness of nicotine pouches. Therefore, we surveyed sales and consumption and asked smokers the following questions:

• Have you heard of tobacco-free nicotine pouches?
• Have you already tried them?
• Would you like to try them for a few months?

What was the purpose of this research?

The aim of the study was to see if there was an association between those who had tried to quit smoking, those who had used smokeless tobacco products and those who had tried nicotine pouches.

Who participated in the survey?

Most participants were men, aged between 18 and 65. These had no plans to quit smoking. Some had already tried vape or e-cigarettes, others tobacco-free pouches. The survey assumed that participants who had never heard of nicotine pouches had probably never used them either.

What are the results of the survey?

About 7% of the smokers surveyed for this study had ever tried tobacco-free nicotine pouches. Those who had tried to quit smoking in the past, through medication, counselling or other cessation programmes, were more likely to have ever used pouches. Former users of smokeless tobacco products - such as gum, dip, moist snuff or snus - were also more likely to use nicotine pouches.

17.6% of smokers said they would like to try nicotine pouches in the next six months. Only 7.1% said the same about smokeless tobacco products such as dips or chewing gum.

Participants who had tried nicotine bags before, expressed interest in quitting smoking in the next six months, and who had also tried quitting smoking before were much more interested in using nicotine pouches again.

Conclusion:

The market for nicotine pouches is growing, and more and more younger smokers want to try nicotine pouches. It is very likely that we will see a continued upward trend among smokers and possibly other tobacco users.