Research and reporting on nicotine and caffeine pouches.

The Physicochemical Principles Governing Nicotine Delivery from Oral Nicotine Pouches

Engqvist H · Materials (MDPI)

Review of in vitro dissolution and permeation studies and clinical pharmacokinetic data showing that nicotine delivery from pouches depends on moisture, water activity, pH, nicotine form, matrix composition, particle structure and pouch design rather than nicotine content alone. It frames pouches as controlled oral delivery systems.

Nicotine pouches, vaping or cigarettes: Which nicotine product is actually the least harmful?

Fenske E · The Conversation

An addiction medicine physician explains relative risks across cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. The article stresses that combustion drives most smoking harm, that pouches expose users to fewer toxicants but are not risk-free or FDA-approved cessation aids, and that relative harm depends on who uses a product and what it replaces, with particular concern for adolescents and non-smokers.

Rates of oral nicotine pouch experimentation, initiation, and cessation by other tobacco product use and sociodemographic characteristics among U.S. adults, 2022–2024

Roberts OK, Sánchez-Romero LM, Jimenez-Mendoza E, et al. · medRxiv

Preprint analysing Waves 7 and 8 (2022-2024) of the US PATH Study (24,640 adults) to estimate rates of oral nicotine pouch experimentation, initiation and cessation. Transition rates were compared across people using cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or multiple products, and by sex, race and ethnicity, age and education.

DTI mandates certification for nicotine pouches

Context.ph · Context.ph

News report that the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry placed nicotine pouches under mandatory product certification through Department Administrative Order 26-07 of 2026, giving industry 12 months to comply. Manufacturing, import, packaging, distribution and sale will require a Philippine Standard licence based on PNS BSI PAS 8877:2024, with testing of nicotine content, pH and water activity by recognised laboratories.

Nicotine pouch use induces alterations in salivary metabolites and metabolic pathways. Preliminary study based on NMR spectroscopy

Soiniemi L, Pétain S, Åhlström J, et al. · Nicotine & tobacco research

Preliminary Finnish study comparing salivary metabolites of 13 nicotine pouch users with 15 non-users using NMR spectroscopy. Pouch users had elevated salivary choline and alterations in several metabolic pathways, including phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. The authors suggest nicotine pouch use may affect oral metabolic processes and call for larger studies.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Oral Nicotine and Tobacco Product Use among US Adults

Harlow AF, Han DH, Sussman S, et al. · Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

PATH Study Wave 7 analysis (2022-2023) of 29,705 US adults comparing users of nicotine pouches and other non-tobacco oral products with users of snus and smokeless tobacco. Past-30-day pouch use was 1.4%; pouch users were more often aged 18-24, female, college-educated and vaping than smokeless users, suggesting reach into new populations.

Nicotine pouches divide experts and go to Parliament on Wednesday

Bolsas de nicotina dividem especialistas e vão quarta-feira ao Parlamento

Lusa · RTP

News agency report ahead of a Portuguese parliamentary debate on regulating nicotine pouches. A pulmonologist argues the products should ideally be banned, that the permitted 12 mg exceeds cessation-medication doses and that marketing targets young people, while other health professionals' consultation submissions describe pouches as a lower-risk alternative to cigarettes and warn that overly strict rules could hinder smokers switching.

Investigating the oral and dental effects of nicotine pouches: findings from a patient and professional survey with in-person assessment

Currie C, Jackson J, Allison J, et al. · medRxiv

Preprint mixed-methods UK study combining a national survey of 3,659 nicotine pouch users, a survey of dental professionals and in-person oral examinations. Users were mostly male and aged 16-22, and 45% reported at least one oral or dental side effect; clinical assessment included periodontal examination and histopathology of lesions.

E-Cigarette and Nicotine Pouch Use Among Youth, United States, 2025

Seaman Jones EL, Cordova J, Hoffmeyer N, et al. · NEJM evidence

Analysis of public 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey data on US middle and high school students. E-cigarettes were the most used product followed by nicotine pouches; almost all youth who used pouches chose flavoured products, mainly mint, and ZYN was the most frequently used pouch brand.

Bhutan's tobacco law struggles to keep pace with new nicotine products

Asia News Network (Kuensel)

Reports on a 2026 policy brief arguing that Bhutan's tobacco law, liberalised in 2021, is ambiguous about heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and some synthetic nicotine products. The authors call for risk-differentiated regulation and taxation and warn that very high taxes may push consumers to informal markets.

Adolescent use of nicotine pouches in four Latin American countries: A cross-sectional survey

Alexandrou G, Moodie C, Best C, et al. · Addiction (Abingdon, England)

School survey of 12,785 adolescents aged 12-17 in 16 cities in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru in 2025. Ever use of nicotine pouches was 6.0% (highest in Peru) and current use 2.4%, mostly infrequent; Velo and Zyn were the most used brands and pouches were often obtained from others.

GC-MS determination of nicotine in heterogeneous tobacco-free products: ISO/IEC 17025 validation and adaptation of CORESTA RM No. 62

Majorani C, Micheli L, Licheri A, et al. · Analytical methods

Italian National Institute of Health study adapting and validating a GC-MS method based on CORESTA RM No. 62 for nicotine in chemically diverse tobacco-free products, including cellulose, herbal and nicotine polacrilex matrices. Measured contents sometimes differed from declared values, mainly due to product variability, and the method supports regulatory testing.

Egypt: nicotine pouch regulation, October 2026

TobaccoIntelligence Legal Analysis Team · TobaccoIntelligence

Subscription regulatory report from a market-intelligence service, of which only an overview is public. It states that nicotine pouches are unregulated in Egypt and treated as consumer products, whereas tobacco products must be approved before being placed on the market and their advertising is restricted. The full report analyses the framework across policy areas such as market access, taxation, advertising and sales.

Nicotine Pouch Advertising and Sales in Australia: A Qualitative Study of Younger People's Experiences

Jongenelis MI, Li R · Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals

Twelve focus groups with 98 Australians aged 16-39 held in early 2025 explored exposure to nicotine pouch advertising and sources of supply. Almost all groups reported seeing pouch advertising despite it being illegal, mostly on social media and especially TikTok, featuring influencers presenting pouches as cool; tobacconists and convenience stores were key sources.

Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students: 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey

Glantz SA · Pediatrics

Analysis of the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey public-use data. Overall youth tobacco use continued to decline to 7.2%, but nicotine pouches were the only product whose use increased, doubling from 0.8% in 2021 to 1.7% in 2025 to become the second most-used product; the author criticises recent FDA regulatory decisions.

Comparison of the Health Effects Associated with the Use of Snus and Tobacco-Free Oral Nicotine Pouches: A Systematic Review

Kopa-Stojak PN, Pawliczak R · Exposure and Health

Systematic review (PROSPERO-registered) of health effects of snus and tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches. Both were linked to increased blood pressure, heart rate and oral mucosal changes, and switching helped reduce smoking; snus was associated with several chronic disease risks, while data on pouches were too limited to determine their health effects.

Nicotine pouches: harm reduction or a new generation of nicotine users?

Dunne C · BC Medical Journal

Editorial by a British Columbia physician noting that in Canada pouches fall under the Food and Drugs Act as nicotine replacement, while unauthorised grey-market products are widely sold. Citing rising youth use in US and Quebec surveys, the 2026 WHO report and limited Cochrane cessation evidence, she argues pouches may reduce harm for adults who smoke but should not be started by young non-users.

Nicotine pouches: clinical implications for oral health and perioperative anesthetic care - a narrative review

Jang HBS, Ouanounou A · Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Anesthesia

Narrative review translating evidence on nicotine pouches into perioperative guidance for oral and maxillofacial anaesthesia. It highlights possible interactions with vasoconstrictor local anaesthetics, withdrawal around emergence, links to wound-healing complications and higher postoperative pain, and recommends routine screening and pouch removal before sedation.

Nicotine Pouches: A Potential Cause for Concern

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids · Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Advocacy fact sheet reviewing nicotine pouch market growth led by ZYN, rising youth and young adult use, marketing through sponsorships, social media, rewards programmes and 'tobacco-free' messaging, limited independent health evidence and rising child poisonings. It recommends that states include pouches in tobacco definitions so flavour, tax and other policies apply.

Saudi Arabia: nicotine pouch regulation, September 2026

TobaccoIntelligence Legal Analysis Team · TobaccoIntelligence

Subscription regulatory report from a market-intelligence service, of which only an overview is public. It states that nicotine pouches are classified as pharmaceutical or medicinal products in Saudi Arabia, that imports are banned while local production is allowed, with local producer Badael granted market access in 2022, and that the import ban is expected to remain.

Paraguay: nicotine pouch regulation, September 2026

Emerson C · TobaccoIntelligence

Subscription regulatory report from a market-intelligence service, of which only an overview is public. It states that Paraguay applies basic administrative controls to novel nicotine products, such as mandatory health registration with the national health surveillance authority, indoor use restrictions and labelling rules, with little recent debate and a generally market-open rather than restrictive approach. The full report analyses the framework across policy areas such as market access, taxation, advertising and sales.

Exploring possible point-of-sale restrictions for vapes and nicotine pouches: cross-sectional surveys with adults and adolescents in the UK

MacKintosh AM, Best C, Moodie C, et al. · medRxiv

Two UK online surveys in 2026 of adult nicotine users (n=2,851) and 11-17-year-olds (n=2,123) rating images of vape and nicotine pouch point-of-sale displays. Conventional displays were rated favourably, whereas displays with standardised white packs, and especially fully covered displays, had much lower odds of favourable ratings in both groups, informing possible display restrictions under the UK Tobacco and Vapes legislation.

Govt Orders States To Crack Down On Illegal Nicotine Pouch Sales Amid Health Concerns

Kumar R · Free Press Journal

India's Health Ministry, in a 19 September 2026 letter, asked states to enforce laws against illegal nicotine pouch sales, which it said were smuggled and sold online and in shops, citing public health risks and exposure of children, and pointing to drug laws allowing search, seizure and prosecution.

India orders crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks: ministry letter

Reuters (via TimesLIVE)

Reuters reports that India's health ministry instructed state governments to step up enforcement against nicotine pouches, describing them as a serious health hazard after popular brands were found on sale illegally. The directive cites the country's drugs law, enabling searches, seizures and prosecutions, and a federal drug panel advised against approving further nicotine products.

Researchers warn about white snus – see link to rise in type 2 diabetes

Forskare varnar för vitt snus – ser koppling till ökning av diabetes typ 2

Mathillas L · SVT Nyheter

Karolinska Institutet diabetes researcher Kerstin Brismar suggests a possible link between white snus and rising type 2 diabetes among young people, while noting research on pouches specifically is limited. The article cites CAN's 2024 school survey, in which 16 percent of ninth graders and 29 percent of second-year upper-secondary students reported snus use, with steep increases among girls.

The product that looks like candy and worries over its reach among young people in Colombia

El producto que parece un dulce y preocupa por su llegada a los jóvenes en Colombia

Vanguardia (Colombia)

Colombian report on concern that small, flavoured nicotine pouches are spreading among teenagers through social media and eye-catching marketing. It notes that despite being smokeless they contain addictive nicotine, and that Colombian law bans sale to under-18s and restricts promotion.

Nicotine pouch regulation changes not being considered: health minister

Ritchie S · The Canadian Press (via Global News)

Canadian Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the government was not considering loosening federal rules restricting nicotine pouch sales, despite pressure from the tobacco industry, Conservatives and Alberta's premier. Tobacco control groups meanwhile called for stronger enforcement against illegal pouch sales.

Prohibited goods: Vaping goods and nicotine pouches

Australian Border Force · Australian Border Force, Department of Home Affairs

Australian Border Force guidance on importing vaping goods and nicotine pouches. It states that nicotine is controlled under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and that from 24 July 2026 nicotine pouches cannot lawfully be imported or supplied unless entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods or covered by a statutory exemption, and that travellers cannot bring them into Australia.

100 days to go: Retailers urged to prepare for tobacco and vape changes

Local Government Association · Local Government Association (UK)

Press release from councils in England reminding retailers that from 29 October 2026 it becomes an offence to sell nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, to under-18s, the first legal age of sale for pouches in the UK. It notes that many shops still sell pouches without ID checks, outlines further restrictions on vending, free distribution and discounts, and advises retailers on age verification and staff training.

Health minister says she's not considering looser regulations on nicotine pouches

The Canadian Press · CP24 / The Canadian Press

News report that Canada's health minister will not ease rules restricting nicotine pouches to pharmacy sale as cessation aids, despite an industry-backed campaign to allow retail sales. Only one brand, Zonnic, is approved. Tobacco-control groups said illicit pouches such as Zyn are reaching young people and called for stronger enforcement, while the minister acknowledged difficulty policing online sales.