The World Health Organization has fired a major warning shot at the nicotine pouch industry, accusing brands of deliberately targeting teenagers and young adults as sales explode globally. Retail sales surpassed 23 billion units in 2024 — a jump of more than 50% in a single year — and the global market was worth nearly $7 billion in 2025. Yet around 160 countries still have no specific regulation covering these products.
Nicotine pouches are small sachets tucked between the gum and lip, releasing nicotine directly through the mouth's lining. What makes them especially alarming is their appeal to younger audiences. Brands use bubble-gum flavours, sleek packaging that mimics candy, influencer marketing on social media, and sponsorship of festivals and Formula 1 races. Some products are even sold in tiers labelled "beginners," "advanced," and "experts." The report warns that all of these tactics are designed to normalize nicotine use, lower perceptions of risk and draw a new generation of users into nicotine addiction.
WHO is particularly concerned about adolescent brain development. Nicotine exposure during the teenage years can affect attention and learning — and early nicotine use can increase the likelihood of long-term dependence and future use of other tobacco products. Cardiovascular risk rises too.
WHO is now urging governments to close these regulatory gaps fast. Recommended safeguards include flavour bans, strict age-verification, plain packaging, nicotine caps, and heavy taxation to deter youth use. The message is blunt: coordinated action now, or an entire generation gets hooked.
