Nicotine Pouches May Help Smokers Reduce Harm: Study
New evidence from an international research team at the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies suggests that oral nicotine pouches could be a viable pathway for adult tobacco users to reduce harm. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, provides the first national estimate of daily nicotine pouch use among U.S. adults and indicates these products are primarily being used by individuals who have recently quit other forms of tobacco.
Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022-2023 Tobacco Use Supplement, which covered over 110,000 adults. They found that only 2.5% of U.S. adults were daily users of nicotine pouches. Crucially, the study revealed that the highest prevalence of both current and daily nicotine pouch use was among adults who had recently quit smoking cigarettes or using e-cigarettes. This suggests that these individuals may be using pouches as a harm reduction tool or a step in their cessation journey.
Cristine Delnevo, lead researcher and director of the institute, stated, “For people who smoke or use other nicotine products and don’t want to stop using nicotine, switching completely from the more harmful product and moving down the risk continuum with nicotine pouches is likely good for public health.” She emphasized, however, that this does not mean non-users should start. The study found that usage was “virtually nonexistent” among adults who had never used any tobacco products, and highest among non-Hispanic white men.
Mary Hrywna, co-author and associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, described the findings as “informative and, at least for now, somewhat reassuring,” as they don’t indicate widespread uptake by non-nicotine users. While nicotine is addictive, studies confirm it does not itself cause cancer, which is primarily caused by the toxins in combustible tobacco smoke.
This research comes as global public health advocates urge the World Health Organization’s tobacco control treaty (WHO FCTC) to adopt harm reduction strategies at its upcoming COP11 session. Advocates in countries like the Philippines also highlight the role of smoke-free products in providing smokers with a way out of combustible cigarettes. Anton Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), stated, “Smoke-free products such as nicotine pouches… could provide nicotine consumers a way out of smoking, while continuing their nicotine consumption habits.” The Rutgers study provides new data supporting the argument that these products are being used by adult smokers for harm reduction purposes.
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