Nicotine pouch use among U.S. high school students has almost doubled between 2023 and 2024, with flavored products becoming unpopular through social media influence. This disturbing trend has serious health risks, including addiction, harm to brain development, mouth irritation, and more.
Addiction rates among teenagers using nicotine pouches are a new public health crisis in need of immediate attention. Research from USC’s Keck School of Medicine reveals that 5.4 percent of high school students used nicotine pouches in 2024, compared to three percent in 2023. This surge may be largely due to the rise of social media “Zynfluencers” who promote these products by linking them to mental acuity, confidence, and masculinity, turning toxic nicotine products into marketing tools that bypass tobacco advertising regulations.
Nicotine pouches are small microfiber sachets that contain nicotine powder, flavoring, and other additives that people can place between their lip and gum. Nicotine pouches don’t require spitting and will dissolve completely in the mouth, allowing nicotine to be absorbed through the gums and oral lining. Available in flavors like cinnamon, citrus, mint, and coffee, these products are manufactured by major tobacco companies and marketed as “tobacco-free” alternatives. However, they contain the highly addictive substance nicotine in concentrations as high as traditional tobacco products.
Statistics On Nicotine Pouch Use In Teenagers
Data from the “Monitoring the Future” study, which surveyed over 10,000 high school students across the country, paints a picture of rapidly increasing nicotine pouch use among teenagers. As e-cigarette use declined from 20 percent in 2023 to 17.6 percent in 2024, nicotine pouch use increased by 80 percent. Past 30-day usage and past 12-month usage showed significant increases, showing that teens are regularly using these products, not just experimenting with them.
There is also a concerning rise in the use of both e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, which jumped from 2.1 percent in 2023 to 3.6 percent in 2024. This 71 percent increase suggests that many teenagers are adding nicotine pouches to their existing vaping habits. This pattern of use increases overall nicotine exposure and addiction risk. Male students, non-Hispanic white teens, and those living in rural areas show the highest usage rates. In 2024, 1.8 percent of middle and high school students reported nicotine pouch use, while only 2.9 percent of adults reported ever using these products, and just 0.4 percent admitted to current use.
How Using Nicotine Pouches Negatively Affects Health
The health implications of nicotine pouch use extend across multiple areas of physical, mental, and emotional health. Immediate physical effects may include mouth sores, gum irritation, and damage to oral tissue from the contact between nicotine and delicate tissues in the mouth. Concentrated nicotine levels can also have serious implications for cardiovascular health, as they increase heart rate and blood pressure.
The long-term health consequences are largely unknown because the product has only been on the market since 2016. Nonetheless, researchers are concerned about potential cancer risks, oral health deterioration, and other effects from chronic nicotine exposure. Unlike FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies, nicotine pouches are not approved as smoking cessation aids and carry risks for people who have never smoked.
Nicotine Is Addictive
Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that can create dependency patterns quickly, especially in young people. This rapid addiction pathway is dangerous with nicotine pouches because it’s easy to conceal the use of the pouches, unlike cigarettes, which require lighting or vaping, which produces vapor clouds and aromas. Research shows that adolescents who use nicotine products face increased vulnerability to addiction to other substances.
Brain Development Harm In Young Adults
The adolescent brain continues to develop until age 25. During these crucial years, nicotine abuse can change brain structure and persist long after use stops. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and executive function, is susceptible to nicotine-caused alterations. Young adults who use nicotine pouches may experience cognitive impairment, which will affect their ability to succeed at school or work.
Attention, Learning, Mood, And Impulsive Control In Adolescents
Using nicotine during adolescence can severely harm parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood regulation, and impulse control. Attention deficits can manifest as difficulty concentrating in class, problems following instructions, and an inability to focus on tasks for extended periods. Learning and memory formation can also be negatively impacted, with studies showing a reduced ability to acquire new information and form lasting memories in young people who use nicotine. Increased irritability, anxiety, and depression are common among teens using nicotine and can persist long after quitting.
The Role Of Flavors And Social Media Marketing
Flavored nicotine pouches represent a calculated strategy by the tobacco industry to mask nicotine’s harsh, bitter taste with flavors like bubble gum, cotton candy, and fruit. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies flavors like these as “youth-friendly bait” that transforms toxic products into harmless treats, possibly accelerating the chance of addiction.
In addition, social media platforms have become the primary marketing vehicle for nicotine pouches, and young “Zynfluencers” are promoting these products with content that associates use with confidence, mental clarity, and heightened social status. Sales data reveal how effective this strategy has been, with nicotine pouch sales increasing from 126 million pouches in 2019 to 808 million sold as of March 2022.
Preventing Nicotine Pouch Addiction In Teenagers
The growing crisis of teen nicotine pouch addiction requires the attention of parents, educators, healthcare providers, and policymakers. Below are some of the prevention strategies that may prove to be the most effective.
Prevention strategies include:
- Parents, teachers, and pediatricians must learn to recognize signs of nicotine pouch use, including small white pouches, unusual oral behaviors, mouth sores, and mood changes.
- Families should engage in honest conversations about nicotine products, making it clear that “tobacco-free” doesn’t mean “harm-free”.
- Schools need to update their anti-smoking curriculum to address nicotine pouches, marketing tactics, and health risks.
- Teens should be educated about influencer marketing tactics and the ways companies use social platforms to promote addictive products.
- Medical professionals need to be educated about how to identify a nicotine pouch, the health effects of these products, and resources to help people quit.
The most effective preventative measure is a combination of these strategies, with an understanding that nicotine pouches will require a different playbook than the efforts to limit tobacco use in past decades.
How To Help A Teen Facing Nicotine Pouch Addiction
When parents discover their teen is abusing nicotine pouches, it’s important to try to understand why they’re using the drug, rather than instantly punishing them. Teens are more likely to be honest about their use and seek help when they don’t fear severe consequences. Parents should educate themselves about nicotine addiction and recognize that their loved one is dealing with a chemical dependency that may require help from a professional.
Healthcare providers can assess the severity of the addiction, provide evidence-based cessation suggestions, and monitor the teen for withdrawal symptoms. The FDA has approved several medications to help people quit smoking, and while not specifically approved for nicotine pouch addiction, a healthcare professional can determine whether that kind of treatment is necessary. These types of interventions, combined with counseling, can significantly increase the chances of quitting.
For more information and free resources for those struggling with addiction and mental health, visit AddictionResource.net.
