Nicotine pouch use has exploded across Great Britain over the past five years, with young men at the centre of the surge, according to a major new study from University College London. One in 13 men aged 16 to 24 — 7.5% — now uses nicotine pouches, a figure that would have been unthinkable at the start of the decade.
The study, published in Lancet Public Health and funded by Cancer Research UK, tracked survey responses from 127,793 people in England, Scotland and Wales between October 2020 and March 2025. Over that period, pouch use among all adults climbed from just 0.1% to 1% — roughly 522,000 people. The rise was almost entirely concentrated among younger demographics, with older age groups showing virtually no change.
Who’s Using Them — and Why It Matters
Most current pouch users (69%) also reported using other nicotine products, including cigarettes and vapes. But researchers flagged a notable subset: one in six users (16%) had never regularly smoked. This suggests pouches aren’t just a switching tool for existing nicotine users — they appear to be introducing a new generation to nicotine dependency.
Currently, there are no age restrictions on nicotine pouch sales in Great Britain. The forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill is expected to change that, with provisions to ban sales to under-18s — but in the meantime, the products remain freely available to minors.
A Regulatory Gap With Real Consequences
Lead researchers from UCL described the growth as “driven almost exclusively by young people, especially young men,” and called for urgent regulatory action to close gaps that have allowed the category to grow largely unchecked.
The findings arrive as regulators across Europe are grappling with how to respond to a product that sits in a grey zone — not a cigarette, not a vape, but a discreet oral product that delivers nicotine without smoke or visible vapor. For industry observers, the UK data is a preview of what’s likely playing out across other markets where pouch regulation lags adoption.
The study’s authors stopped short of calling for a ban, instead recommending age verification at point of sale as an immediate priority, alongside clearer public health messaging targeted at the 16–24 demographic that accounts for the bulk of new users.
