Nicotine pouches are being ‘aggressively’ marketed to young people, WHO report warns

By Marta Iraola Iribarren Published on 15/05/2026 - 14:42 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

The World Health Organization warns in a new report about the addiction risks of nicotine pouches and the industry’s “aggressive” marketing tactics targeting young people.

As the global market for nicotine pouches is rapidly growing, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of aggressive marketing tactics targeting young people and children that can lead to addiction from an early age.

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Nicotine pouches are pre-portioned pouches designed to deliver nicotine through the mouth. They typically contain nicotine, either synthetic or tobacco-derived, and other ingredients, such as cellulose powder, flavourings, sweeteners, and alkaline agents.

The WHO report warns that nicotine pouches can be highly addictive and calls for comprehensive regulations that address all tobacco-related products.

“The use of nicotine pouches is spreading rapidly, while regulation struggles to keep pace,” said Vinayak Prasad, unit head of the Tobacco Free Initiative for WHO. “Governments must act now with strong, evidence-based safeguards.”

Global retail sales of nicotine pouches in 2024 totalled 23.462 billion units, an increase of 50.5% over the previous year, the report noted.

In 2025, the global market for nicotine pouches was nearly US$ 7 billion (€ 6 billion), with the sales highest in North America, mainly in the United States, with a revenue share of 79%.

Outside the US, nicotine pouches are most popular in European countries such as Germany, Poland, and Sweden, said the WHO.

While groups of all ages use these products, the report calls for special protection of children and young people who are more vulnerable, both to nicotine’s impact on their bodies and to advertising tactics from the industry.

“Urgent, coordinated, sustained action is critical to safeguard current and future generations from nicotine addiction,” the authors wrote.

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Increasing use among young people

The report noted that in the US, nicotine pouch use among younger age groups, 13 to 20 years old, and young adults, 21 to 27, has rapidly increased in recent years, nearly quadrupling between 2022 and 2025.

In the United Kingdom, recent consumption increases have also been concentrated among young people; in 16–24-year-olds, nicotine pouch use rose from 0.7% in January 2022 to 4.0% in March 2025, the WHO said.

According to the report, these increases are occurring because nicotine pouches are “aggressively marketed and promoted to young people”.

Some of the tactics the international health agency has identified include advertising on social media and digital platforms, often using influencers and ads that promote “discreet” or stealthy use, making it difficult for parents or teachers to detect and as a way of breaking the rules.

An almost infinite range of flavour options

Other marketing tactics include multiple flavoured nicotine pouches to appeal to a wider audience.

These products often contain various sweet, fruity, mint, candy, and bubble gum flavours, which the WHO considers “particularly attractive to children”.

Some brands include the flavours of alcoholic drinks such as beer, mojitos, Martini, and bourbon in their catalogues.

“Flavours in tobacco and related products enhance their attractiveness and appeal, especially to young people, contributing to experimentation, initiation and sustained tobacco and nicotine use,” the report warned.

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A call for stricter regulation

Amid the growing popularity of these products, the WHO calls on countries that commercialise them to ensure “strong regulations to reduce their appeal and their harm to the population”.

“Governments are seeing the use of these products spread quickly, especially among adolescents and young people who are being aggressively targeted by deceptive tactics,” said Etienne Krug, director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at WHO.

“These products are engineered for addiction, and there is a strong need to protect our youth from industry manipulation.”

The report noted that there is insufficient national action, whereby nicotine pouches commonly fall through regulatory gaps and thus are either unregulated or lightly regulated.

The proposed measures include applying regulations uniformly to all nicotine pouch products, regardless of the nicotine form, banning flavours, and prohibiting all forms of advertisement and promotion.

The WHO also calls on countries to restrict young people’s access to nicotine pouches by enforcing minimum age laws, ensuring robust age verification, and prohibiting online sales.

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