The New Global Trend in Smoking Cessation (as Featured on Joe Rogan’s Podcast)

Introduction – The Rise of Nicotine Pouches as a Cultural Phenomenon

An Overview and Brief History

Nicotine pouches first appeared on the market in the 2010s, manufactured by Swedish Match (a Swedish snus brand).  The product was inspired by a shift in the tobacco market due to rising public health concerns surrounding the use of tobacco in smoking and smoke-free products and was based on snus.

Nicotine pouches resemble snus, (which has been enjoyed for many centuries especially in the Nordics).  Snus is an oral smokeless tobacco product, packaged in a small, discreet sachet (or pouch). The snus pouch releases nicotine and tobacco into the mouth, which enters saliva and the gums, delivering a pleasant experience.  Swedish Match began to create their snus products without tobacco (but with nicotine) – hence the name “nicotine pouch.”   The first nicotine pouch brand was called Zyn, and Swedish Match added different flavours such as fruity combinations, menthol, mint, novelty and more. 

From Zyn’s first launch, it proved a very successful product, giving snus users an alternative to tobacco, with a similar experience, but also giving smokers a smoking cessation product that provided all the pleasure of nicotine, without the health risks associated with combustible tobacco. 

Growing Popularity

Nicotine pouches extended into the Nordics and then were launched into the USA – quickly carving a niche in the country’s tobacco-free and smokeless markets.  Within five years, the Zyn was available in over 100,000 stores in the USA and by 2022 the brand was selling 140 million pouches a month (USA). Other brands entered the market, including On!, VELO and Lucy (in 2019), followed by Rogue and Fre in 2020 and now there are many different brands on the market including Chapo white and Morko from Snuzzer.co.uk, along with some notable companies selling and manufacturing nicotine pouches on and offline.

Celebrities and Influencers

Currently, the global nicotine pouch market is worth USD$2.04 billion and projected to reach USD$26.8 billion by 2032, displaying that the category is booming – and is fast becoming a cultural phenomenon, especially amongst the 34 to 55 year age group.  As well as the shift toward smoke-free, healthier alternatives to smoking, some of the category’s success is also attributed to influencers (or “Zynfluencers”) as well as celebrity endorsement.

Social media and podcasts particularly have proved a fantastic medium for getting the word out – a good example is a TikTok video of a woman who created a nicotine pouch birthday cake (618,000 likes) for her partner. 

Back in late 2023, comedian Bert Kreischer caused quite a storm when he tried Zyn nicotine pouches online – nearly one million people viewed the clip. Other influencers such as the DJ D’vey and model Billie-Jean Blackett (amongst others) have also posted themselves using nicotine pouches on their social media channels.

Even American politician Tucker Carlson calls himself a fan and regular discusses the benefits of using nicotine pouches (e.g., on a podcast here) and celebrity comedian and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) commentator Joe Rogan talks about how he has managed to quit smoking altogether, thanks to Zyn (podcast and YouTube).  The American podcaster has created a second podcast dedicated to nicotine pouches – called Nicotine Pouch Insights.  These are just a few of the many celebrities and influencers who’ve helped to build the nicotine pouch cultural phenomenon.

Joe Rogan and the Publicization of Nicotine Pouches

Following on from above, Joe Rogan discusses nicotine pouches on his main podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience,  which is one of the world’s most listened to podcasts (around 14.5 million listeners according to Spotify).  The comedian has many guests, including globally renowned names such as Elon Musk, Senator Bernie Sanders and Edward Snowden.  Joe is often spotted on the UFC using nicotine pouches which is one of the reasons why the pouches regularly form a topic of conversation on his podcasts.

Joe is known as an advocate for nicotine pouches and on his podcast, Joe mentions the nicotine content, the safety in comparison to snus and smoking cigarettes and goes into detail on how nicotine pouches have helped him to quit cigarette smoking for good.  He has even introduced other celebrities to nicotine pouches – for example, Matt Serra, American Martial Artist.  As well as Rogan’s popular podcast, he also has a strong following on TikTok, where he first tried nicotine pouches back in 2022.

The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Public Health Trends

Doubtless, the numerous celebrity endorsements have helped to catapult the sales of nicotine pouches, not just in the USA – but in all territories. Celebrities have enormous followings on their social media channels, many have podcasts, or YouTube channels too,  grabbing the attention of their followers while also attracting new followers, thanks to the sharing of content.  Celebrities are seen as role models, so their behavior and choices influence their followers (hence the description “influencers”).  By talking about, promoting and using nicotine pouches, they increase their followers’ curiosity – so they’re more likely to try the product themselves, especially as a celebrity endorsement gives products credibility.  Fans trust their favourite celebrities.  When celebrities endorse nicotine pouch brands (and other brands), often the media covers the story -  reaching a larger audience and further growing a brand’s interest.

Of course, there are many positives to celebrities like Joe Rogan endorsing nicotine pouches because he successfully used them to give up smoking – therefore influencing his millions of followers to think  about choosing healthier alternatives to cigarettes, therefore further shaping public health trends.

The Science and Appeal of Nicotine Pouches

How to Use Nicotine Pouches

Nicotine pouches work well as a recreational product and as a smoking cessation tool.  Small enough to slip discreetly into the mouth, they’re positioned behind the top lip or between the tongue and cheek.  It only takes after a few moments before the nicotine and flavouring starts to release into the mouth, and the nicotine begins to absorb into the membranes before entering the bloodstream. 

The Ingredients

It’s important to look at the ingredients to understand how these pouches work.  Each pouch contains an amount of nicotine, usually ranging from around 2 mg right up to 25 mg+. New users, or those who’ve never used nicotine before start with a low dose, whereas smokers looking to quit, or seasoned nicotine enthusiasts usually choose a higher dose product. As well as nicotine, each pouch contains flavourings, which adds to their appeal.  There are many variants available, to meet the demands of different palates – much like vape products. Other ingredients include plant-based fibres, sweeteners and water, all wrapped up in a sachet, suitable for oral use. As the pouches are tobacco-free, the only similar ingredient to cigarettes in a pouch is the nicotine content.

Why Nicotine Pouches are Becoming a Preferred Smoking Cessation Tool

It's widely believed that nicotine pouches are safer and “healthier” to use than tobacco cigarettes.  As the tobacco content in cigarettes contains hundreds of carcinogenic ingredients, and nicotine is non-carcinogenic, this perception has a lot of truth in it!  It is not the tobacco, but the nicotine that’s the addictive element in cigarettes and nicotine, according to many health experts, has some significant health benefits (more below).  This is why pouches are becoming a very effective smoking cessation tool.  They are enjoyable to use (unlike traditional smoking cessation products) and they contain enough nicotine to quash cravings.  The effects of nicotine pouches last longer than the sensation cigarettes deliver, sometimes up to 2 hours after removal (pouches should be worn for 5 to 30 minutes).

It's also worth mentioning that they’re perfectly acceptable to use in any public space and as there’s no risk of second-hand smoke, other people are not put at risk.  Of course, celebrities such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carson endorsing nicotine pouches also help raise their profile as good smoking cessation tools, which is another reason why they’re becoming the preferred choice for so many now ex-smokers.

Nicotine Pouches Compared to Traditional Smoking Cessation Products

Smoking cessation products have been available for 40 years+, with a large range of tools such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, e-cigs and nicotine sprays amongst others.  So how do nicotine pouches compare to these traditional products?  Truthfully, as there are so many strengths of nicotine pouches available, for heavy smokers who’d likely choose a high-dose pouch, they’re likely to be far more effective than a lower-dose piece of nicotine gum or a nicotine patch.  They’re also pleasurable products to enjoy because of the multitude of flavours available, which gives someone looking to quit quite a few options to choose from, unlike patches, sprays and gum.  While gum does come in a couple of flavours (fruit and mint), there isn’t a wide choice and flavours wear off quickly, reportedly leaving an unpleasant taste in the mouth!

E-cigs do have wider appeal, especially vape products because they emit a vapour and can be inhaled.  However, over the past few years, there’s much more focus on the dangers of the chemicals ingested by vape products, namely an increase in asthma, lung damage, other organ damage, breathing issues and cardiovascular problems.

Finally, nicotine patches also don’t come in high enough doses for many smokers looking to quit – and as they aren’t oral products, there’s no “enjoyment” associated with using them (the same applies to sprays – although they are oral products). 

So, it’s fair to say that by using nicotine pouches to help stop smoking, all of the issues associated with traditional smoking cessation tools are eliminated!

Global Adoption of Nicotine Pouches & Cultural Impact

Brief Overview of Market Growth

Thanks to celebrity endorsement, the absence of tobacco, an abundance of flavours and the rise in public awareness of the dangers of  cigarette smoking, nicotine pouches continue to rise in popularity. 

Looking at different regions, in Scandinavia, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 36% during the period 2024 to 2030.  In the UK, the category is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 39% during the same period, and in the US, 33%.  Here are the CAGR figures for other markets for the period 2024-2030:

  • Asia Pacific  46%

  • China           48%

  • India            47%   

Cultural Factors

This topic has been mentioned earlier on in this article, but just to enlarge on the subject, much of nicotine pouches’ popularity is down to the change in attitudes towards cigarette smoking – especially the concerns surrounding the dangers associated with combustible tobacco.  Also, people’s lifestyles have changed.  Smoking (and to a degree vaping), are no longer permissible in public spaces, so people have had to adapt. Nicotine pouches deliver a perfectly suitable alternative recreational product, driving demand.  Social media, as mentioned, and influencers have further enhanced the appeal of nicotine pouches too, shaping perceptions around usage.

The Health Perspectives of Nicotine Pouches (Including Expert Opinions Featured in Podcasts)

Benefits and Risks

So are nicotine pouches healthy?  Or are they a danger!  This is the big question and there’s a lot of controversy surrounding these tiny products.  There are ongoing studies aiming to determine what the dangers are (if any) but looking at the facts, it is believed that they must be healthier than cigarettes, mainly because they don’t contain any tobacco which leads to a number of diseases.  Cigarettes cause 8 million deaths a year (1 million of those deaths down to passive smoking). While still significant, a quarter of a million deaths a year are caused by smokeless tobacco (snus and other products) but this is a low number compared to cigarette deaths.  We don’t know how many (if any) deaths are caused by nicotine pouches – but seeing as they don’t contain tobacco, perhaps they don’t cause any!

This is not to say there is no risk.  Nicotine pouches, by their very nature, contain nicotine.  Nicotine is known to be an addictive substance but generally, the health effects of nicotine are not severely harmful.  Apart from its addictiveness, it’s mainly associated with diarrhoea, mouth or gum irritation, nausea, increased heart rate/blood pressure, sweating and nausea.  In fact, some studies show nicotine to be beneficial, as it heightens brain activity (believed to benefit Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients).  It’s also an appetite stimulant, so may help combat obesity, it can aid sleep apnoea, alleviate ulcerative colitis and guard against Tourette’s Syndrome. 

The key message here is that nicotine pouches are nowhere near as harmful or toxic as cigarette smoking, from a medical point of view and as a lifestyle product. Listening to Joe Rogan’s podcast (link above), he highlights how much better he feels replacing cigarettes with nicotine pouches, with renewed energy and improved health & wellbeing. Even Health Canada (and on The Decibel Podcast) has approved the sale of Zonnic  (a nicotine pouch) for smoking cessation.

The Future of Nicotine Pouches and Their Role in Smoking Cessation

With Western governments (and many others too) seeking a smoke-free future, the bans on smoking and vaping in public places and New Zealand and the UK banning tobacco sales for future generations, nicotine pouches will continue to grow as a recreational product. Some territories still don’t permit the sale of these products (e.g., Germany) but it is believed that this is down to regulatory issues and categorising the products correctly.  In the future, these products will be subject to stricter rules, especially surrounding age and marketing of products but they will likely be permitted on sale in all territories.  New flavours, strengths and products will come to market, and it is predicted that they will be marketed as extremely effective nicotine replacement therapy (as well as for recreational use).  Some health bodies (for example, the UK’s National Health Service) may well offer nicotine pouches at a low cost subsidised by the government for people seeking a highly effective smoking prevention tool.

Trends & New Technologies

Companies producing nicotine pouches will also be seeking more environmentally friendly ingredients and packaging, responding to government’s sustainability goals.  New technologies are also appearing, especially pearl or encapsulation technology which is whereby nicotine and flavourings are fed into small beads, packed into the pouch and delivering better absorption rates as well as user satisfaction.

Conclusion

Nicotine pouches are going to become more relevant and important in shaping the future of health, especially as they are significantly safer than cigarettes and have already proved themselves as powerful nicotine replacement tools.  Of course, as well as the role of health professionals, experts and government bodies in bolstering their reputation as highly nicotine replacement therapy products, the media plays a vital role in promoting nicotine pouches positively. Influencers, “Zynfluencers”, podcast celebrities such as Joe Rogan and celebrities in general are helping to dramatically sway public opinion – and could even fast-track the road toward a smoke-free world.  It’s important that people understand what nicotine pouches are, why they don’t pose the same risks as cigarettes and how they have plenty of benefits. Listening to relevant podcasts, watching documentaries, noting articles in newspapers discussing health topics surrounding smoking/smoking cessation/smokeless products will educate the public further and help people make positive decisions that could save lives.