Nearly half of US online nicotine pouch customers first tried the products to quit smoking, vaping or both, according to a new survey that adds to the debate over how smoke-free nicotine alternatives should be regulated.
The report, released by Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, found that 46 per cent of surveyed customers cited quitting smoking, vaping or both as one reason they first used nicotine pouches.
It comes as UK campaigners warn that weak enforcement could leave the pouch market exposed to the same kind of illicit trade already seen in vapes.
Together, the findings point to a growing regulatory test: how to keep nicotine pouches away from young people and illegal sellers without undermining access for adult smokers looking for alternatives to cigarettes.
The US survey draws on 2025 purchasing data from more than 172,000 customers and responses from 2,245 adult nicotine pouch customers between December 2025 and January 2026.
It found that 46 per cent of respondents said quitting smoking, vaping or both was one reason they first tried nicotine pouches. Smoking was cited by 34 per cent, while 22 per cent cited quitting vaping. Some respondents selected both.
The report also found that 88 per cent had used nicotine in some form before trying pouches. Among those who said they had switched completely from cigarettes to nicotine pouches, 93 per cent said they felt better after switching.
The report is based on customers of two online retailers, rather than a nationally representative sample of all pouch users. But it adds to evidence that, for many adults, pouches are being used as a substitute for cigarettes or vapes, rather than as a first nicotine product.
Older adults drive growth
The average age of a first-time online pouch purchaser in the dataset was 45. Adults aged 55 to 64 were the fastest-growing customer segment in 2025, increasing 26 per cent from the previous year.
That is likely to strengthen arguments from harm reduction advocates that pouch rules should distinguish between adult smokers switching away from combustible tobacco and young people who should not be using nicotine at all.
The US Food and Drug Administration authorised the marketing of 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products in January 2025, the first such authorisation for nicotine pouches.
The FDA said its review found the authorised products contained substantially lower levels of harmful constituents than cigarettes and most smokeless tobacco products, and that evidence showed some adults completely switched from cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to the pouches. It also stressed that the authorisation did not mean the products were safe or FDA approved, and applied only to the specific products reviewed.
Online checks under scrutiny
The Nicokick and Northerner report also challenges the assumption that online sales are the main weak point for underage access.
Among surveyed online customers, 98 per cent recalled being asked to verify their age when buying nicotine pouches. Among respondents who bought through physical retail, 75 per cent recalled being asked to verify their age.
Among respondents who said they had obtained nicotine pouches while underage, 52 per cent said they got them from a local shop, 23 per cent from a friend, 10 per cent from a supermarket chain and five per cent online.
“The data suggests that an excessive regulatory focus on online sales may overlook more common sources of underage access,” said Laura Leigh Oyler, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Haypp Group, parent company of Nicokick.com and Northerner.com. “Online platforms use standardized, auditable compliance systems. The evidence points to physical retail as the channel that deserves greater attention.”
The report also found that one in 10 survey respondents had encountered nicotine pouches they believed were being sold through illicit or unauthorised channels. Of those reported encounters, 45 per cent were through social media and 40 per cent through informal shops.
UK enforcement gap
In the UK, We Vape has written to MPs across England after Freedom of Information data suggested Trading Standards teams are taking major action against illicit vapes, while recording virtually no enforcement activity on nicotine pouches.
The organisation said the gap was understandable because, until recently, there had been no specific nicotine pouch regulations to enforce. But it warned that the same conditions that allowed illicit vapes to spread could also apply to pouches if regulation is not backed by funding, training and testing capacity.
The FOI examples cited by We Vape include Lancashire, where more than 20,444 illicit vapes were seized, 126 under-age test purchases were carried out and eight prosecutions were recorded, but no pouch activity was reported.
Surrey and Buckinghamshire recorded 16,788 vapes seized, 38 tests and six prosecutions, again with no pouch activity.
Birmingham recorded 5,485 vapes seized, 30 tests and nine enforcement actions, with no pouch activity.
Similar patterns were identified in Bristol, Dorset and North Yorkshire.
“These numbers prove Trading Standards can deliver when given clear rules and modest resources,” said Mark Oates, founder of We Vape.
“Nicotine pouches currently show almost zero enforcement activity, which is understandable given the lack of a regulatory framework until now.
“However, there is a real risk that nicotine pouches could follow the same path as illicit vapes if enforcement teams are expected to take on significant new responsibilities without adequate preparation, training and resources.
“If ministers want the new regulations to be effective, they need to ensure Trading Standards have the tools and capacity required to enforce them.”
New rules are coming
The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 gives ministers powers to regulate nicotine products, including pouches, alongside vapes. The Act includes measures to ban advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products, powers to restrict packaging, branding and displays aimed at children, and powers to introduce retail licensing.
The government has also said the Act will close loopholes by banning all vapes and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, from being sold to under-18s. Ministers will also have powers to regulate flavours, packaging, display and product standards.
But campaigners say enforcement needs to be planned before the rules fully bite.
We Vape has asked MPs to press ministers on whether Trading Standards will get ring-fenced funding, guidance and laboratory capacity for pouch enforcement, as well as specific training rather than extra duties being added on paper.
It has also called for adult-oriented flavours to be protected where they help smokers move away from cigarettes, while preventing youth marketing and under-age sales.
Richard Crosby, UK director of Considerate Pouchers, said: “The FOI data highlights the need to think about enforcement capacity now, before problems emerge.
“The 20isPlenty campaign is calling for a sensible 20mg cap alongside proper support for Trading Standards teams. Adult smokers switching from cigarettes should have access to effective alternatives, but regulators also need the resources to tackle irresponsible products and under-age sales.”
