With smokeless tobacco alternatives on the rise, the nicotine pouch market is expected to grow steadily over the next couple of years. A report by Exactitude Consultancy states that the industry is growing at a CAGR of 33.2% between 2024 and 2030, primarily thanks to the increasing awareness of the health and environmental risks posed by smoking traditional tobacco products.
The demand for smokeless nicotine alternatives is also driven by stricter tobacco laws worldwide, which prove crucial as Singapore’s anti-smoking law has been shown to prevent 19,591 heart attacks, while Europe, North America, and New Zealand saw a 13% reduction in heart attack risk thanks to smoke-free legislation. As laws continue to be more stringent around tobacco products, the market turns its eye to more viable and accessible smokeless alternatives.
Here’s what you need to know about the increasingly popular product.
What are nicotine pouches?
Nicotine pouches are small white bags containing nicotine, flavorings, sweeteners, and plant-based fibers. They are sold in packs and are used by tucking between the lip and gums for around 30 minutes. Designed to be discreet, these pouches are easily disposable and produce less drip, adding to their convenience.
Currently, the market is dominated by brands like ZYN, VELO, Rogue, and On!, many of which are being sold online, offering a variety of flavors and strengths. Prilla’s stock of On! pouches exemplify this, as their online selection comes in 2mg, 4mg, and 8mg strengths and features the most popular flavors like Citrus, Cinnamon, and Wintergreen. Go-to choices include On! Wintergreen 2mg, which offers a sweet, minty taste for a balanced and natural feeling at any time of the day, and the On! Original 4mg, which features a neutral flavor for users who want a nicotine kick without a particular taste. On! nicotine pouches are designed with an ultra-compact mini-dry format that easily conceals them under the lip. These products are widely purchased online as fast shipments under optimal conditions ensure they are cheaper and fresher than their convenience store counterparts.
Swedish Match’s ZYN nicotine pouches are the most widely sold brand, taking up 67% of the market. The pouches do not contain tobacco leaf, resulting in lower concentrations of carcinogens and toxicants found in cigarettes. Like other nicotine pouch brands, ZYN also comes in a variety of flavors, including Cool Mint, Citrus, and Spearmint, and provides a mild nicotine experience with five to 30 minutes of use. Lately, ZYN has been gaining popularity on social media thanks to “Zynfluencers,” who use the smokeless, hands-free nicotine alternative while fishing, golfing, and riding motorcycles, among others. Such associations have contributed to the widespread attention consumers are directing toward the nicotine pouch market.
Nicotine pouches as more eco-friendly alternatives
Aside from being a smokeless alternative, nicotine pouches are also considerably less harmful to the environment than conventional tobacco products. Oceancare reports that cigarette pollution is caused by tobacco product waste that contains over 7000 toxic chemicals. Because these products are not biodegradable, they leak highly poisonous and carcinogenic substances into soils, oceans, lakes, and waterways. Plants then absorb these substances, potentially ending up in the food chain. Cigarette butts have also been found in the guts of many animals. Additionally, cigarettes have been known to cause air pollution several times greater than diesel car exhaust.
In contrast, nicotine pouches are non-combustible, emitting no harmful pollutants that harm the environment. They also do not come with plastic pods or batteries as vapes do. Moreover, nicotine pouches use biodegradable materials like plant fibers and cellulose that break down in nature and can properly be disposed of with significantly less toxic substances than cigarette butts. As a result, nicotine pouches can be a more viable choice for more eco-friendly consumers.
Nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly popular due to their accessibility, wide variability in flavors and strengths, and the potential to reduce risks posed by combustible cigarettes. These benefits have resulted in promising and sustainable market growth.
