Teen Nicotine Pouch Use Nearly Doubled In One Year, Study Finds
Nicotine Pouches Are Surging Among Teens, Study Finds
Youth vaping may be declining, but nicotine pouch use appears to be moving rapidly in the opposite direction.
Just when it seemed youth vaping rates were finally heading in the right direction, another nicotine product started gaining ground.
According to a 2025 study published in JAMA Network Open, nicotine pouch use among U.S. teenagers increased significantly between 2023 and 2024. While e-cigarette use showed modest declines, nicotine pouches gained traction, raising concerns that youth nicotine use is evolving rather than disappearing.
The findings suggest that although fewer teens may be vaping, many are still being exposed to nicotine through newer products that are easy to conceal, heavily marketed, and often perceived as less harmful.
What Are Nicotine Pouches?
Nicotine pouches are small, tobacco leaf-free packets placed between the lip and gum. Popular brands such as ZYN are available in flavors like mint, coffee, cinnamon, and fruit.
Unlike cigarettes, cigars, or vaping devices, nicotine pouches produce no smoke or vapor. They also don’t require spitting, making them easy to use discreetly at school, during sports, or in other situations where traditional tobacco products would be difficult to hide.
Because these products are often marketed as “tobacco-free nicotine,” many consumers mistakenly assume they are harmless. Questions about whether nicotine pouches are really safer than dip continue to generate debate among researchers and former smokeless tobacco users. While nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco leaf, they still contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug.
Inside the Research
Researchers analyzed data from the Monitoring the Future survey, one of the nation’s longest-running studies of adolescent substance use.
The study examined responses from more than 10,000 U.S. students in 10th and 12th grade during 2023 and 2024. Researchers evaluated both nicotine pouch use and e-cigarette use, looking at lifetime use, past-year use, and current (past 30-day) use.
The goal was to understand not only how many teens were using these products but also how patterns were changing over time.
Nicotine Pouch Use Nearly Doubled
The study’s most notable finding was the rapid increase in nicotine pouch use.
Between 2023 and 2024:
- Lifetime use increased from 3.0% to 5.4%
- Past-year use increased from 2.4% to 4.6%
- Past-30-day use increased from 1.3% to 2.6%
Researchers estimated that the number of 10th and 12th graders using nicotine pouches within the previous 30 days increased from approximately 94,000 students in 2023 to roughly 192,000 students in 2024.
In other words, current nicotine pouch use among teens more than doubled in just one year.
Vaping Declined, But Nicotine Use Remained
There was some encouraging news.
The study found that past-year e-cigarette use fell from 20.0% to 17.6% between 2023 and 2024. Other vaping measures also showed declines, although not all reached statistical significance.
But the bigger picture is more complicated.
As vaping declined, nicotine pouch use increased. The result was that overall use of non-tobacco nicotine products remained largely unchanged.
That’s an important distinction.
The data suggest that many young people may not be moving away from nicotine altogether. Instead, some may simply be choosing a different delivery system.
Use of Multiple Nicotine Products Is Growing
Researchers also found increases in teens who reported using both nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes.
Dual use increased for both lifetime and past-year measures, indicating that a growing number of adolescents are combining products rather than replacing one with another.
While more research is needed, public health experts have long expressed concern that using multiple nicotine products can increase overall nicotine exposure and strengthen dependence.
Who Is Using Nicotine Pouches?
The study found that nicotine pouch users look somewhat different from the typical vaping population.
Nicotine pouch use was more common among:
- Male students
- White students
- Rural students
- 12th graders
- Students without plans to attend a four-year college
One of the strongest findings involved geographic differences.
Among rural youth, lifetime nicotine pouch use reached more than 11% in 2024, compared to about 3% among urban youth.
Researchers noted that this demographic pattern closely resembles historical smokeless tobacco use trends, where rural White males were disproportionately represented.
Why Are Teens Drawn to Nicotine Pouches?
The study highlighted several factors that may contribute to increasing use:
They’re easy to hide
Because pouches don’t create smoke, vapor, or odor, they can be used discreetly in settings where other nicotine products would be obvious.
They’re available in appealing flavors
Like many vaping products, nicotine pouches are sold in a variety of flavors that may appeal to younger users.
They don’t look like traditional tobacco
Many teens view nicotine pouches as fundamentally different from cigarettes or chewing tobacco because they contain no tobacco leaf. That distinction may reduce perceived risk, even though users are still consuming nicotine.
Marketing has expanded rapidly
The growth of pouch brands such as ZYN has coincided with increased visibility on social media and in popular culture, helping these products reach new audiences.
Marketing has expanded rapidly, fueling concerns about whether nicotine pouch brands are being designed and promoted in ways that appeal to younger audiences, similar to allegations surrounding Big Tobacco’s targeting of children with ZYN.
Why This Matters
For years, public health efforts focused heavily on curbing youth vaping. Those efforts appear to have had some success.
However, this study suggests that the nicotine landscape continues to evolve.
Nicotine exposure during adolescence remains a concern because the teenage brain is still developing. Researchers note that nicotine can affect brain systems involved in attention, mood regulation, learning, and addiction.
The study also points out that while nicotine pouches may differ from traditional tobacco products, questions remain about their long-term health effects and whether products like ZYN are as low-risk as many consumers believe. We’ve previously explored the question: Is ZYN dangerous?
What Parents, Coaches, and Educators Should Know
Nicotine pouches may be small, but they are becoming a bigger part of the youth nicotine conversation.
Parents and youth advocates should be aware that:
- Pouches are easy to conceal.
- They are often marketed as tobacco-free.
- They still contain addictive nicotine.
- Use among teens is increasing.
- Many users may also be vaping.
Early conversations about nicotine should include nicotine pouches alongside cigarettes, vaping products, and traditional smokeless tobacco.
The Bottom Line
The latest data suggest that youth nicotine use is changing, not disappearing.
While vaping rates continued a gradual decline between 2023 and 2024, nicotine pouch use increased significantly, with current use more than doubling in a single year. Researchers also found increases in dual use of nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes.
For those of us committed to prevention, education, and recovery, the message is clear: nicotine pouches are no longer a niche product. They are becoming an increasingly important part of the youth nicotine landscape, and ignoring them could mean missing the next phase of the nicotine addiction challenge.
Source: Han DH, Bae Y, Cho J, et al. “Nicotine Pouch and E-Cigarette Use and Co-Use Among US Youths in 2023 and 2024.” JAMA Network Open. Published April 30, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.6739.
