“Discreet” and “Convenient”: How Oral Nicotine Pouch Ads Appeal to the Youth Market

A recent study led by researchers in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society (HBS) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzes the latest marketing trends for oral nicotine pouches from the tobacco industry, finding an emphasis on promoting flavors, an increase in the use of convenience and discretion as key marketing features, and a decrease in highlighting pouches as “smoke-free” or “tobacco-free.” The analysis assessed marketing features in nicotine pouch ads that ran from 2021 to 2023. 

Nicotine pouches were first introduced in the U.S. in 2016 and have since grown in popularity. The pouches are filled with fibrous material and a nicotine-containing powder. Consumers typically place a pouch (or multiple pouches) between their gum and lip to absorb nicotine through the lining of the mouth. While those who smoke heavily and have been unable to quit may potentially benefit from switching completely to nicotine pouches, there is a concern that they may appeal to adolescents and other new users of nicotine, particularly through the way they are featured in advertisements. 

“Our analysis provides an updated assessment of marketing features in nicotine pouch ads that ran from 2021 to 2023, a time period following increased brand investment in nicotine pouch marketing that also notably corresponds with the years when nicotine pouch use among youth increased,” says Lauren Czaplicki, PhD ’18, MPH, associate scientist in HBS and lead author on the study. 

The leading brand Zyn was more likely to emphasize convenience, simplicity, and discretion. In addition to Zyn, other popular brands include On!, Velo, and Rogue. Niin, a now discontinued brand, was a leader in using marketing terms such as “tobacco-free” or “smoke-free” in their ads; the analysis shows a steep decline in those terms following the brand’s discontinuation. 

“We have seen an overall shift in distancing oral nicotine pouches from other tobacco products while placing a higher emphasis on the ability to use them discreetly,” says Meghan Moran, PhD, MA, associate professor in HBS and senior author of the study. 

As manufacturers in the tobacco industry continue to promote flavors and employ new marketing tactics that may appeal to youth, authors of the analysis advocate for ongoing surveillance to understand how marketing can potentially influence consumer perceptions, particularly among young people. 

Content analysis of marketing features in US nicotine pouch ads from 2021 to 2023 was published in Tobacco Control in December 2024.