The Hidden Harms of Nicotine Pouches

The small white pouches are easy to miss, but maybe you’ve seen one tucked under someone’s lip, whether in person or in a TikTok video. There’s no smoke, vapor, or smell—and that’s exactly why nicotine pouches can seem less risky than they are.

Once people start using the pouches (sold under brand names like ZYN, VELO, and on!), it can be hard for them to stop. Here’s why: The nicotine in pouches is the same highly addictive drug that’s in all tobacco products. Instead of inhaling nicotine, as someone would when they smoke or vape, a person places a pouch between the upper lip and gum, where the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream.

The small white pouches are easy to miss. But maybe you’ve seen one tucked under someone’s lip in person or in a TikTok video. There’s no smoke, vapor, or smell. And that’s exactly why nicotine pouches can seem less risky than they are.

The pouches are sold under brand names like ZYN, VELO, and others. It can be hard for people to stop using them once they start. That’s because the pouches contain nicotine. It’s the same highly addictive drug that’s in all tobacco products. Someone who smokes or vapes inhales nicotine. But pouches are placed between the upper lip and gum. This allows the drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

At first glance, nicotine pouches look more like mints or sticks of gum than tobacco products. But cut one open, and you’ll find a mix of plant fibers, flavorings, and nicotine powder. Nicotine, which comes from tobacco plants, is what makes all tobacco products addictive. The substance triggers a surge of feel-good brain chemicals, giving users a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. The brain craves nicotine to get this feeling over and over, creating a cycle of addiction.

Nicotine is especially harmful to teen brains. When used during adolescence, the drug can alter the development of brain pathways related to attention, learning, memory, mood, and decision-making. These changes make teens more vulnerable to nicotine addiction.

Nicotine can also elevate the risk of heart attack and stroke. It causes blood vessels to constrict, or tighten, making the heart work harder to pump blood. Nicotine affects the body in other ways too—it weakens bones, harms oral health, and reduces the body’s ability to heal.

However, because nicotine pouches aren’t smoked or inhaled, many people assume the products are safe to use. This impression has health experts worried that nicotine pouches may appeal to people who never would have picked up a cigarette or tried vaping. “They create a new way for people to start using nicotine,” says Cori Hammond with the nonprofit organization Partnership to End Addiction.

So how do nicotine pouches compare to cigarettes or vapes when it comes to safety? The answer is complicated.

Nicotine pouches don’t look much like tobacco products at first glance. They look more like mints or sticks of gum. But inside you’ll find a mix of plant fibers, flavorings, and nicotine powder. Nicotine comes from tobacco plants. It’s what makes all tobacco products addictive. The substance triggers a rush of feel-good brain chemicals. They give users a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. The brain craves nicotine to get this feeling over and over. This creates a cycle of addiction.

Nicotine is especially harmful to teen brains. The drug can alter brain growth during adolescence. That includes the development of pathways related to attention, learning, memory, mood, and decision-making. These changes make teens more likely to become addicted to nicotine.

Nicotine can also raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. It causes blood vessels to constrict, or tighten. That makes the heart work harder to pump blood. Nicotine affects the body in other ways too. It weakens bones, harms oral health, and reduces the body’s ability to heal.

But nicotine pouches aren’t smoked or inhaled. So many people think the products are safe to use. This idea worries health experts. They believe people who never would have picked up a cigarette or started vaping might try nicotine pouches. “They create a new way for people to start using nicotine,” says Cori Hammond. She’s with the nonprofit organization Partnership to End Addiction.

So how do nicotine pouches compare to cigarettes or vapes when it comes to safety? The answer is complex.

You probably know that cigarettes are bad for you. Smoking is the number one cause of early death around the world. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals, more than 70 of which are known to cause cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Smoking contributes to heart disease, lung diseases, and numerous other health problems throughout the body.

Vaping isn’t safe either. E-cigarettes heat a liquid to create an aerosol, a mix of tiny liquid or solid particles floating in air. This aerosol can contain nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, and other potentially harmful substances that can damage lung health.

When compared to cigarettes or vapes, pouches expose users to fewer harmful chemicals, experts say, and are not currently linked to lung damage. But less harmful doesn’t mean safe.

For one thing, nicotine pouches can contain a lot of nicotine. Smoking a cigarette typically delivers about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine. Some nicotine pouches deliver several times that amount. As a result, dependence can develop quickly. Nicotine pouches also impact oral health, irritating gums and causing them to pull back from teeth.

Plus, because nicotine pouches are relatively new, there’s a lot researchers don’t know yet about their long-term health effects. But what they already know, many say, is enough to raise concern.

You likely know cigarettes are bad for you. Smoking is the number one cause of early death around the world. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals. More than 70 of these are known to cause cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Smoking contributes to heart disease and lung diseases. And it’s linked to many other health problems throughout the body.

Vaping isn’t safe either. E-cigarettes heat a liquid to create an aerosol. That’s a mix of tiny liquid or solid particles floating in air. This aerosol can contain nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, and heavy metals. It may have other possibly harmful substances that can damage lung health.

Experts say that pouches expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes or vapes. And they’re not currently linked to lung damage. But less harmful doesn’t mean safe. For one thing, nicotine pouches can contain a lot of nicotine. Smoking a cigarette typically delivers about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine. Some nicotine pouches deliver several times that amount. Addiction can develop quickly as a result. Nicotine pouches also impact oral health. They irritate gums, which causes them to pull back from teeth.

Plus, nicotine pouches are relatively new. So there’s a lot that researchers don’t know yet about their long-term health effects. But many say what they already know is enough to raise concerns.

If nicotine pouches were sold in plain brown packaging and tasted like tobacco, would they be popular among teens? Probably not. Many come in fruity or minty flavors and are packaged in bright, eye-catching containers. That’s all part of the marketing—and it works. More than 8 in 10 teens and young adults who have used tobacco products say their first product was flavored.

The marketing goes beyond the packaging and flavors. Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, you may come across so-called “Zynfluencers.” These social media personalities promote nicotine pouches as part of a lifestyle associated with confidence, athletic performance, and success. And in some cases, tobacco companies pay them for it.

“Social media plays a big role in making nicotine pouches seem like they’re everywhere,” says Kathy Crosby. She’s the CEO and president of Truth Initiative, a group that aims to prevent nicotine addiction in teens and young adults. “You might not see a traditional ad for nicotine pouches, but you may see a video, meme, or post that makes them look cool.”

Some nicotine pouch brands have partnered with sports organizations (especially car racing and pro bull riding) and podcasts whose audiences include teens. The message may not look like advertising, but it has the same effect: making nicotine use seem normal, fun, or even healthy.

Elise Stevens, a researcher who studies the marketing of unhealthy products, says the increase in nicotine pouch use among teens reminds her of the rise in youth vaping in the early 2000s. The difference is that today’s marketing often appears on social media rather than in magazine or billboard ads. And because the posts don’t always look like ads, it can be hard to recognize them.

“We know that almost 80 percent of health information on social media is incorrect or inaccurate in some way,” Stevens says. So if you come across claims that nicotine pouches improve athletic performance, mental health, or any aspect of your health, don’t fall for it. Check trusted sources such as health care providers, scientific research, and public health organizations.

Nicotine pouches aren’t sold in plain brown packaging and don’t taste like tobacco. But imagine if that were the case. Would they be popular among teens? Probably not. Many come in fruity or minty flavors. And they’re packaged in bright eye-catching containers. That’s all part of the marketing. And it works. More than 8 in 10 teens and young adults who’ve used tobacco products say the first product they tried was flavored.

The marketing goes beyond the packaging and flavors. Scroll through Instagram or TikTok. You may come across so-called “Zynfluencers.” These social media personalities promote nicotine pouches as part of a lifestyle. They associate the pouches with confidence, athletic performance, and success. And tobacco companies pay them for it in some cases.

“Social media plays a big role in making nicotine pouches seem like they’re everywhere,” says Kathy Crosby. She’s the CEO and president of Truth Initiative. It’s a group that aims to prevent nicotine addiction in teens and young adults. “You might not see a traditional ad for nicotine pouches. But you may see a video, meme, or post that makes them look cool.”

Some nicotine pouch brands have partnered with sports organizations into car racing and pro bull riding. The brands also sponsor podcasts whose audiences include teens. The message may not look like advertising. But it has the same effect. It makes nicotine use seem normal, fun, or even healthy.

Elise Stevens is a researcher who studies the marketing of unhealthy products. She says the increase in teen nicotine pouch use reminds her of the rise in youth vaping in the early 2000s. But there’s a difference. Today’s marketing often appears on social media rather than in magazine or billboard ads. And it can be hard to recognize the posts as ads.

“We know that almost 80 percent of health information on social media is incorrect or inaccurate in some way,” Stevens says. You might come across claims that nicotine pouches improve athletic performance, mental health, or other aspects of your health. But don’t fall for it. Check trusted sources. They include health care providers, scientific research groups, and public health organizations.

One claim that appeals to many teens is that nicotine pouches can help them focus, pay attention in class, or perform better on tests. The idea isn’t completely made-up, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Nicotine is a stimulant, which means it can temporarily make people feel more alert. That can create the impression that it’s helping you concentrate, but that feeling does not mean nicotine is improving learning or academic performance, says Crosby, of Truth Initiative.

As the nicotine wears off, people can begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms. They may feel anxious, irritable, or unable to concentrate. Using another pouch relieves those withdrawal symptoms, creating a cycle that can be mistaken for better focus. In other words, what feels like improved concentration may actually be relief from withdrawal. “Over time, the brain may expect a dose of nicotine just to feel normal,” says Crosby.

There’s one claim about nicotine pouches that appeals to many teens. It’s that pouches can help them pay attention in class or perform better on tests. The idea isn’t completely made-up. But it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Nicotine is a stimulant. That means it can make people feel more alert for a short time. That can give the idea that it’s helping you focus. But that feeling does not mean nicotine is improving learning or academic performance, says Crosby, of Truth Initiative.

People can begin to have withdrawal symptoms as the nicotine wears off. They may feel anxious, grumpy, or unable to focus. Using another pouch relieves those withdrawal symptoms. That creates a cycle that can be mistaken for better focus. In other words, what feels like improved concentration may actually be relief from withdrawal. “Over time, the brain may expect a dose of nicotine just to feel normal,” says Crosby.

Will trying just one nicotine pouch cause addiction? No one knows exactly how much nicotine it takes for an addiction to develop, because everyone’s body responds to the drug differently. Some of the warning signs of dependence include thinking about nicotine often, feeling anxious or irritated when you can’t use it, or feeling like you need nicotine in order to relax or focus.

If you’ve been curious about trying nicotine pouches—or any tobacco product—it’s worth remembering something else: Most teens aren’t using them. So choosing not to start doesn’t make you the odd one out—it puts you in the majority.

Ananya Sinha, a ninth-grade student from North Carolina, thinks about it like this: “For me, the decision not to try nicotine pouches comes down to a simple question: Why start a habit that so many people struggle to stop?”

Will trying just one nicotine pouch cause addiction? No one knows exactly how much nicotine it takes for an addiction to develop. Everyone’s body responds to the drug differently. But there are some warning signs. They include thinking about nicotine often, feeling anxious or irritated when you can’t use it, or feeling like you need nicotine to relax or focus.

Maybe you’ve been curious about trying tobacco products like pouches. But it’s worth remembering that most teens aren’t using them. So choosing not to start doesn’t make you the odd one out. It puts you in the majority.

Ananya Sinha is a ninth-grade student from North Carolina. She says, “For me, the decision not to try nicotine pouches comes down to a simple question: Why start a habit that so many people struggle to stop?”