US nicotine pouch users are turning away from smoking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

US nicotine pouch users are turning away from smoking

8.5 million Americans expected to use pouches this year

Nicotine pouch users in the United States are increasingly abandoning smoking, and making the safer pouches their sole source of nicotine, according to new research from TobaccoIntelligence.

A survey of nearly 500 regular users conducted late last year, and just published, found that although some nicotine pouch users do still smoke or vape, the proportion who rely solely on the pouches increased substantially between 2022 and 2024.

It also found that health concerns were the single biggest reason for switching to nicotine pouches, and that around 80% of pouches sold in the United States fall into the “light”, or lower-nicotine, category.

According to TobaccoIntelligence, the US nicotine pouch market is currently the largest worldwide by value and number of users, and has seen dramatic growth over the last half-decade to reach an estimated 8.5m users this year, against around 1m in 2020.

Nearly all of the users surveyed only started using pouches in the last two years.

“Our findings underline one of the most striking developments in the US nicotine market over the last couple of years — the way that the pouch format has come out of almost nothing to be a significant player,” said Barnaby Page, editorial director at TobaccoIntelligence.

“Now the big question is how much further it can go, and there may be a lot of factors affecting that, ranging from negative media coverage on health effects to the knock-on effect of President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese vapes.”

The two new reports from TobaccoIntelligence, US: The Nicotine Pouch Market, March 2025 and US: The Nicotine Pouch Market – Consumer Survey Report, March 2025, are available through a subscription to TobaccoIntelligence or for separate purchase.

ENDS

About us:

TobaccoIntelligence provides impartial, independent and premium market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the nicotine and tobacco alternatives sector worldwide.

We provide our clients with the tools to navigate this fast-moving sector, tailor their business strategy, optimise resources, and make informed decisions. Our global perspective on the international alternative tobacco and nicotine sector offers valuable data such as market trends, key players, regulatory obligations and industry dynamics.

 It is published by Tamarind Intelligence, which also produces ECigIntelligence and CannIntelligence.

Photo: Kuanzhai

Barnaby Page

Editorial director

Before joining ECigIntelligence in early 2014 as one of its first employees, Barnaby had a 30-year career as a reporter and editor for newspapers, magazines and online services, working in Canada, the US and the Middle East as well as his current British location. He has edited publications covering fields including technology and the advertising industry, and was launch editor of the first large daily online news service in the British regional media. Barnaby also writes on classical music and film for a number of publications. Barnaby manages the editorial and reporting teams and works closely with the analyst teams, to ensure that all content meets high standards of quality and relevance. He also writes for the site occasionally, mostly on science-related issues, and is a member of the Association of British Science Writers.