Nicotine pouch rise driven by young men - study

"Around 7.5% of 16 to 24-year-old-men are using the small sachets that fit under the top lip, compared with 1.9% use among young women and 1% among adults overall. Most pouch users - estimated to be around half a million people - also smoke or vape, and a growing number are using them to give up smoking, University College London researchers found."

"Marketing of nicotine pouches has been heavily targeted at spaces and platforms that disproportionately reach young men, including sponsorship of Formula 1 teams, promotion at music festivals, reports of use among professional footballers, and influencer marketing aimed at male audiences," says Dr Harry Tattan-Birch, UCL researcher and study author. Advertising on social media also tends to reach young men more than young women, he adds."

"The small, white teabag-like pouches are bought in round, brightly-coloured tins. They contain synthetic nicotine rather than tobacco, and young men have told the BBC they can produce a powerful hit. Sales of nicotine pouches have been going up rapidly in recent years, with the rise driven "almost exclusively" by young people using them, especially young men, say the researchers."

Use of nicotine pouches in Great Britain has increased rapidly, particularly among 16–24-year-old men. Around 7.5% of men aged 16–24 use pouches, compared with 1.9% of young women and about 1% of adults overall, totaling roughly half a million users. Most pouch users also smoke or vape, and an increasing number report using pouches to quit smoking. The pouches contain synthetic nicotine, are sold in brightly coloured tins, and are described by some young men as producing a powerful hit. Aggressive, targeted marketing on platforms and sponsorships that reach young men appears to be driving the rise.

Read at www.bbc.com