Nicotine Pouch Patterns of Use in a 10-Week Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Tobacco and Nicotine Product Research
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Increasing use of nicotine pouches (NPs) in the US necessitates understanding their role in the broader tobacco and nicotine product (TNP) landscape.
• Limited data exist on how NPs are used and their impact on transitioning away from traditional, more harmful TNPs like cigarettes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the usage patterns of nicotine pouches (NPs) among early adopters.
• To determine if NPs facilitate a transition away from other tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs), particularly cigarettes and oral smokeless tobacco.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, observational study of 346 adult NP users in 11 US states.
• Data collected on daily use of combustible and non-combustible TNPs (cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah, e-cigarettes, oral smokeless tobacco) and reasons for use.
• Descriptive analyses using percentages, confidence intervals, means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges.

Main Results:

• Proportion of participants using NPs and cigarettes decreased from 15.9% to 8.1%; nearly half of these quit smoking by week 10.
• Use of moist snuff declined among dual users, from 15.0% to 7.5%.
• By study end, 24.0% of participants who initially used NPs with other TNPs reported exclusive NP use.

Conclusions:

• Early nicotine pouch (NP) adoption patterns suggest NPs can serve as acceptable replacements for other TNPs.
• NPs demonstrate potential as a harm reduction tool, particularly for users of cigarettes and oral smokeless tobacco.