The market of nicotine pouches — small sachets of nicotine placed between the gum and lip — is rapidly expanding thanks to regulatory loopholes and marketing tactics, including social media campaigns, flavourings and sports sponsorships, with youth being particularly vulnerable, a new brief published Tuesday by STOP warned.
An estimated 34 billion nicotine pouches were sold globally in 2025, up 660% from 2020, the report found. The global market is projected to reach nearly $16 billion (€13.8b) by 2027 and $25 billion (€21.6b) by 2028.
That is "extremely profitable," Sophie Braznel, research associate and coordinator at the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath in the UK and co-author of the brief, said during a press briefing. The market is dominated by the world's largest cigarette manufacturers, including Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT), which each controlled roughly one-third of the global pouch market in 2025.
The booming market is "not an accident," said Jorge Alday, director of STOP and co-author of the brief.
He argued that tobacco companies have exploited regulatory gaps while aggressively marketing the products to both existing nicotine users and new consumers, including youth.
