WHO Warns of Youth-Targeted Nicotine Pouch Marketing

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report on 15 May warning that nicotine pouches—small, flavored sachets placed between the gum and lip—are expanding worldwide at a pace that outstrips regulation. Global retail sales reached 23 billion units in 2024, a 50 percent rise from the previous year, and the market is valued at nearly US $7 billion in 2025. While sales are concentrated in North America (the United States accounts for 79 percent of revenue), the products are also gaining traction in Europe (Germany, Poland, Sweden) and are projected to grow in markets such as Pakistan.

The Straits Times

Nicotine pouches are marketed as “discreet” and “tobacco-free” alternatives to cigarettes and vaping devices. The industry promotes them with sweet, candy-like flavors and sleek packaging, often using social-media influencers, sponsorship of concerts, Formula 1 events, and slogans that emphasize stealthy use (“Forget the rules”, “Anytime, anywhere”). These tactics have accelerated product diffusion, especially among adolescents, while many national regulatory frameworks lag behind.

The Straits Times

• Sales: 23.46 billion units in 2024 (? 50.5 % YoY).

Euronews

• Market value: ? US $7 billion in 2025.

Euronews

• Geography: Highest sales in the United States (79 % of revenue); strong presence in Germany, Poland, Sweden.

The Straits Times

• Regulation: ~ 160 countries lack specific nicotine-pouch rules; only 16 countries ban sales, 32 have partial controls.

The Straits Times

• Youth use: In the United States, usage among 13-20-year-olds and 21-27-year-olds nearly quadrupled (2022-2025). In the United Kingdom, prevalence among 16-24-year-olds rose from 0.7 % (Jan 2022) to 4.0 % (Mar 2025).

Euronews

WHO emphasizes that nicotine is highly addictive and especially harmful to developing brains. Exposure during adolescence can impair attention, learning, and increase the likelihood of long-term dependence. Additional risks include cardiovascular effects and mental-health impacts. Flavored products—ranging from bubble-gum to alcoholic-drink mimics—are deemed “particularly attractive to children,” potentially fostering experimentation and sustained use.

The Straits Times

WHO officials call for comprehensive safeguards: caps on nicotine concentration, bans on flavored variants, strict advertising prohibitions, robust age-verification systems, plain packaging, and steep taxes to reduce affordability. The agency urges governments to treat nicotine pouches uniformly with other tobacco-related products. In contrast, industry representatives such as Laura Leigh Oyler, vice-president of regulatory affairs at Nicokick, cite FDA data indicating that current use remains low among youth and argue the products primarily serve adult smokers seeking lower-risk alternatives.

The Straits Times

Public-health watchdog STOP, led by Jorge Alday, describes nicotine pouches as “little seeds of an epidemic” and warns that current marketing mirrors tactics that preceded the youth vaping surge. WHO’s Vinayak Prasad condemns the promotion of “discreet” use and candy-flavored packaging, questioning the claim that the products are intended for cessation. Critics argue that industry framing obscures the potential for a new generation of nicotine addiction.

The Straits Times

The WHO report documents a rapid rise in youth consumption, while the nicotine-pouch industry maintains that adolescent uptake remains minimal. Additionally, regulatory gaps persist: most countries lack specific legislation, creating uncertainty about enforcement and product standards.

Euronews

• “These products are engineered for addiction,” — Dr Etienne Krug, Director, WHO Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention

The Straits Times

• “If these products were truly intended primarily as smoking cessation tools for adult smokers, why are they being marketed with candy flavours?” — Dr Vinayak Prasad, Head, WHO Tobacco Free Initiative

The Straits Times

• “Nicotine pouches should not be marketed in ways that create a new generation of addiction” — Dr Vinayak Prasad, WHO Tobacco Free Initiative

The Straits Times

• “Governments must act now with strong, evidence-based safeguards.” — Dr Vinayak Prasad, WHO Tobacco Free Initiative

Euronews

• “little seeds of an epidemic that the tobacco companies are planting everywhere” — Mr Jorge Alday, Head, STOP (global tobacco industry watchdog)

The Straits Times

WHO urges national authorities to adopt uniform regulations covering all nicotine-pouch products, enforce flavor bans, implement stringent age-verification protocols, and levy high excise taxes. The agency signals readiness to monitor compliance and to support countries in drafting legislation that curtails youth-targeted marketing while addressing the broader public-health implications of nicotine addiction.

The Straits Times