UC study finds nicotine pouch use rose among US adult tobacco users, 2021 to 2024

The share of adult tobacco users who had ever tried nicotine pouches rose from 16.4% in 2021 to 31.1% in 2024, according to a University of Cincinnati study. Current use rose from 3% to 10.2% over the same period.

Two surveys three years apart underpin the comparison

The study compared surveys run in 2021 and 2024. The 2021 survey covered adults 21 and older who had used tobacco in the prior year. The 2024 survey covered adults 21 and older, which the researchers say allowed them to compare tobacco users across both years and also look at use among adults overall.

Kathleen Amrhein of WKRC reported the findings. The two headline percentages describe the same population type—adult tobacco users—so the rise measures growing familiarity with pouches within that group, not use across all US adults.

Use clusters among men, younger adults and smokeless users

In 2024, pouch use was more common among men, adults aged 21 to 45, and people who currently used tobacco products, particularly smokeless tobacco users. The researchers say the pattern suggests some people use nicotine pouches alongside other tobacco products rather than instead of them.

Nicotine pouches contain nicotine, flavourings and other ingredients, and no tobacco leaf. Users place a pouch between the lip and gum, where nicotine is absorbed through the mouth lining.

Lead investigator says long-term effects are still unknown

Ashley Merianos, a professor in the University of Cincinnati’s School of Human Services and the study’s lead investigator, said the long-term effects of nicotine pouches remain unclear. She said the products have been deemed less harmful than traditional cigarettes, adding that less harmful does not mean no harm, and called for long-term studies to establish the overall impact on health in the US. Merianos also said healthcare providers should ask patients about pouch use and explain that nicotine-containing products can be addictive and are not risk-free.

VapeBrief’s calculation: the point changes above subtract the 2021 figure from the 2024 figure as reported. They are percentage-point gaps, not percentage growth rates.

Who is affected

US retailers and distributors stocking nicotine pouches face a customer base that has widened within the tobacco-using population, with heavier overlap between pouch and smokeless buyers. Healthcare providers are the group the lead investigator addresses directly, with a request to screen for pouch use and to describe addiction risk. Researchers working on nicotine product surveillance gain a 2021-to-2024 comparison point for adult tobacco users.

What the numbers leave open

The comparison covers adult tobacco users, and the survey populations were drawn differently—prior-year tobacco use in 2021, all adults 21 and older in 2024. The reported text does not give absolute respondent counts, margins of error or state-level breakdowns, so the size of the shift within any single US market is unconfirmed.

For suppliers and distributors, the findings point to continued demand for pouches among existing tobacco users, which is analysis rather than a reported figure. Manufacturers weighing pouch portfolios against vapour lines have no new regulatory signal in these results: the study reports use patterns and a researcher’s call for long-term evidence, and sets no compliance step or deadline.

No dated next step is set

The reported study gives no publication date for a follow-up analysis and no scheduled regulatory action. Merianos’s call for long-term research leaves the health-impact question open for future work.

Questions readers ask

What share of adult tobacco users currently use nicotine pouches?

The University of Cincinnati study reports current use at 10.2% of adult tobacco users in 2024, up from 3% in 2021.

Which groups used pouches most in 2024?

Use was more common among men, adults aged 21 to 45 and current tobacco users, especially smokeless tobacco users, according to the study.