Nicotine Pouches: Former Smokers Drive Growth in Europe’s Emerging Market
15th Sep 2025
A new Rutgers University study has found that nicotine pouch use is most common among adults who have recently quit smoking or vaping. The findings, based on data from more than 110,000 U.S. adults between 2022 and 2023, suggest that many users are turning to pouches as an alternative after leaving cigarettes or e-cigarettes behind.
While the Rutgers research was U.S.-based, the trend echoes in Europe, where demand for smoke-free nicotine products is rising.
Quitting Patterns in the EU
According to the ETHRA EU Nicotine Users Survey, which gathered responses from over 35,000 Europeans, more than 27,000 participants had completely quit smoking with the help of alternative nicotine products such as vapes, snus, and pouches. The survey highlighted high quit success rates: 83.5% of vapers and 73.7% of snus users reported giving up cigarettes. Nicotine pouches, though newer to the market, were also identified as part of this harm-reduction pathway.
A 2024 Eurobarometer survey confirmed that interest in nicotine alternatives is largely limited to current and former smokers, with non-smokers showing little to no interest. This underscores that pouches, like vapes and snus, are being used primarily as a tool by people trying to move away from tobacco.
A Rapidly Expanding Market
The U.S. is currently the largest global market for nicotine pouches, but European demand is expanding, especially in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Sweden’s experience is particularly notable: with widespread use of oral nicotine products such as snus and now pouches, the country has one of the lowest smoking rates in the EU.
Nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco leaf, smoke, or vapor. A 2021 study led by Azzopardi et al. found that pouches had toxicant levels similar to nicotine gums and lozenges—products already approved across Europe as nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). This places them on the lower end of the risk scale compared with cigarettes.
Recent clinical research also shows promise. A Yale-led trial in 2025 found that smokers who switched to pouches reduced their daily cigarette use, with higher-strength pouches linked to greater reductions and some abstinence.
The Bottom Line for EU Citizens
Evidence from both sides of the Atlantic suggests nicotine pouches are emerging as a potential reduced-risk option for adults who want to leave cigarettes behind. For Europeans, the products are becoming more visible on store shelves—and, as survey data show, are already helping some smokers move toward a tobacco-free future.
