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Booming nicotine pouch sales are fuelling youth addiction worldwide, warns WHO
WHO says nicotine pouches are being aggressively marketed to adolescents through flavours, influencers and social media campaigns.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday warned that the rapid global rise of nicotine pouches, aggressively marketed to adolescents and young people through attractive flavours, sleek packaging and social media campaigns, risks fuelling nicotine addiction and serious health harms among youth.
The first global report on nicotine pouches — Exposing marketing tactics and strategies driving the growth of nicotine pouches — comes in the lead-up to World No Tobacco Day on May 31, which this year will focus on tobacco and nicotine addiction and the tactics used by the industry to hook a new generation of users.
Nicotine pouches are small sachets placed between the gum and lip that release nicotine through the lining of the mouth. They typically contain nicotine, flavourings, sweeteners and other additives.
According to the report, retail sales of nicotine pouches reached over 23 billion units in 2024, increasing by more than 50% from the previous year.
“The use of nicotine pouches is spreading rapidly, while regulation struggles to keep pace,” unit head of the Tobacco Free Initiative for WHO Vinayak Prasad said. “Governments must act now with strong, evidence-based safeguards.”
The global market for nicotine pouch products was worth nearly US$7 billion in 2025.
In the report, WHO emphasised that nicotine itself is highly addictive and harmful, particularly for children, adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can affect brain development, including impacts on attention and learning. Early nicotine use can increase the likelihood of long-term dependence and future use of other nicotine and tobacco products. Nicotine use also increases cardiovascular risk.
The report said that nicotine pouches often fall through regulatory cracks: Around 160 countries have no specific regulation; 16 countries ban their sale; and 32 countries regulate them in some form, including five restricting flavours, 26 restricting sales to minors, and 21 banning advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
“Governments are seeing the use of these products spread quickly, especially among adolescents and young people who are being aggressively targeted by deceptive tactics,” director of the department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at WHO Etienne Krug said. “These products are engineered for addiction and there is strong need to protect our youth from industry manipulation.”
The report highlights widespread industry tactics to appeal to younger audiences, including sleek, discreet packaging; flavours such as bubble gum and gummy bears; influencer marketing and heavy promotion on social media; sponsorship of concerts, festivals and sports events, including Formula One; aspirational lifestyle branding; and messaging that encourages discreet use in schools and smoke-free settings.
Some packaging mimics sweets or popular candy brands, increasing risks to young children.
The report warns that all of these tactics are designed to normalise nicotine use, lower perceptions of risk and draw a new generation of users into nicotine addiction.
WHO urged governments to adopt comprehensive regulation covering all tobacco and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches. Recommended measures include bans or strong restrictions on flavours; advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans, including on social media and the use of influencers; strong age-verification and retail controls; clear health warnings and plain packaging; and caps on the amount of nicotine allowed.
“WHO urges young people to recognise and reject industry tactics designed to make nicotine use seem normal. Urgent, coordinated action today can help protect a new generation from nicotine dependence,” WHO said in an official statement.
