The Nicotine Pouch Report 2023
National Statistics on Nicotine Pouch Use
The Nicotine Pouch Report 2023 is produced by Haypp in collaboration with The Northerner. The aim is to create the UK’s best evidence base on nicotine consumption and nicotine pouch use. The report is aimed at consumers and interested members of the public, but also at authorities, decision-makers, and opinion formers intending to safeguard a fact-based public dialogue on tobacco and nicotine and enable everyone to follow developments over time. The report is based on purchase statistics from Haypp.com and Northerner.com – and the thousands of actual decisions nicotine pouch users make daily. Insights from a consumer survey have complemented this rich evidence base.
Top Lists of 2022
Number of Cans Per Week
The average pouch user consumes three cans of nicotine pouches per week. The distribution is relatively even across the country. The highest average is found in the East of England, with 3.3 cans, while the lowest is in Wales, with 2.7 cans. The East of England also has the highest proportion of “high-frequency pouch users” – almost one in four users (24%) report using five cans or more per week.
Regarding online purchases, in 2022, an average of 14 cans were purchased per shopping occasion. Over three-quarters, (78%) of British consumers switch between two or more products. E-commerce has improved the ability to change products as the product range is greater, and it is easy to find new varieties that suit individual taste preferences or other desires.
Regarding online purchases, in 2022, an average of 14 cans were purchased per shopping occasion. Over three-quarters, (78%) of British consumers switch between two or more products. E-commerce has improved the ability to change products as the product range is greater, and it is easy to find new varieties that suit individual taste preferences or other desires.
Reasons For Starting Using Nicotine Pouches
The most common reason for starting to use nicotine pouches is to quit smoking. Well over half of all consumers (57%) state smoking cessation as the explicit reason to why they started using nicotine pouches, an increase of six percent from the previous year. The proportion is roughly equal among women (56%) and men (57%).
In addition to serving as a smoking cessation strategy, a social dimension comes into play as a reason to start for some pouch users, albeit to a decreasing extent. One out of eight pouch users (13%) saw others using nicotine pouches and became curious. A quarter (25%) were introduced to nicotine pouches by being offered one by a friend or family member.
Nicotine Pouch Use in Tough Economic Times
"2022 was when high inflation for the first time in a long while dug deep holes in the wallets of British consumers. Massive stimuli in the wake of the pandemic, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and a shortage of electricity and energy contributed to a near-perfect storm. The world’s central banks, including the Bank of England, have raised interest rates at a record pace in their attempts to curb inflation. The rising cost of living is eroding household purchasing power and leading to major changes in consumer behaviour, as many have to forego all but the most necessary purchases.
The major consumption reduction for consumer categories other than nicotine pouches is not solely due to hardships that have already hit households, such as higher interest rates, extreme electricity prices, and falling asset prices. Fear and uncertainty about the future also play a role. Furthermore, consumption can decrease due to social factors through a “Simon says effect”. Increased thriftiness among friends and acquaintances thus also spills over into households with a relatively strong economy.
Among pouch users, more than a third (37%) say they cut back on restaurant visits in more challenging times. Almost as many (36%) cut back on pub and club visits. Other types of consumption that are cut back on include clothing purchases (24%), overseas trips (19%), and concert and theatre visits (18%). However, relatively few de-prioritise nicotine pouches (6%).
Although few seem to put nicotine pouches aside due to the deteriorating economy, nicotine pouch consumption differs from before. The major shift is instead that nicotine pouch usage changes and adapts to the new conditions. Just over two-thirds of consumers have changed their pouch use or buying behaviour in some way during 2022 due to inflation and a deteriorating economy. Adaptation behaviours are most common among younger pouch users between 18 and 34 years. About four out of five in this age group say inflation has affected their pouch use in various ways, compared to less than half among the oldest consumers. The most common adjustment in more challenging times is to buy more bulk packs to lower the unit price of the can. Nearly half – 46% – say they do this, and almost as many (45 per cent) buy more online as prices are often more attractive. Other common strategies are to switch to a cheaper brand (24%), to let the pouch stay in longer (19%), and to choose occasions for pouch use with greater care (13%).
The major consumption reduction for consumer categories other than nicotine pouches is not solely due to hardships that have already hit households, such as higher interest rates, extreme electricity prices, and falling asset prices. Fear and uncertainty about the future also play a role. Furthermore, consumption can decrease due to social factors through a “Simon says effect”. Increased thriftiness among friends and acquaintances thus also spills over into households with a relatively strong economy.
Among pouch users, more than a third (37%) say they cut back on restaurant visits in more challenging times. Almost as many (36%) cut back on pub and club visits. Other types of consumption that are cut back on include clothing purchases (24%), overseas trips (19%), and concert and theatre visits (18%). However, relatively few de-prioritise nicotine pouches (6%).
Although few seem to put nicotine pouches aside due to the deteriorating economy, nicotine pouch consumption differs from before. The major shift is instead that nicotine pouch usage changes and adapts to the new conditions. Just over two-thirds of consumers have changed their pouch use or buying behaviour in some way during 2022 due to inflation and a deteriorating economy. Adaptation behaviours are most common among younger pouch users between 18 and 34 years. About four out of five in this age group say inflation has affected their pouch use in various ways, compared to less than half among the oldest consumers. The most common adjustment in more challenging times is to buy more bulk packs to lower the unit price of the can. Nearly half – 46% – say they do this, and almost as many (45 per cent) buy more online as prices are often more attractive. Other common strategies are to switch to a cheaper brand (24%), to let the pouch stay in longer (19%), and to choose occasions for pouch use with greater care (13%).
How Smokers Perceive The Harm of Different Nicotine Products
According to a previous survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Haypp, four out of ten smokers (40 per cent) believe that nicotine pouches are less harmful than cigarettes. This means that a majority (60 per cent) perceive nicotine pouches as equally harmful, more harmful, or do not know. Among pouch users, on the other hand, an overwhelming majority (94 per cent) perceive nicotine pouch use as less harmful than cigarette smoking, while only 6 per cent hold a different opinion.
The large discrepancy between smokers and pouch users suggests at least some cognitive dissonance among smokers. Almost all humans (often unconsciously) downplay the risks of what we do ourselves and disregard the benefits of alternatives to defend the status quo for ourselves. In this way, we can continue to indulge in our little vices and avoid undergoing a change process that can be both difficult and painful.
The fact that there may be large variations between different groups’ beliefs about the health effects of different types of nicotine use may also be due to the fact that the relevant knowledge is difficult to access. Information and research on the health effects of switching to nicotine pouches may not get through. Even among pouch users, knowledge is limited, and many may find the information complex to understand or delve into. Almost half of nicotine pouch users (43 per cent) answer that they have neither seen, read, nor heard about the health effects of transitioning from smoking to nicotine pouches. Presumably, this type of knowledge is even less known among smokers.
The large discrepancy between smokers and pouch users suggests at least some cognitive dissonance among smokers. Almost all humans (often unconsciously) downplay the risks of what we do ourselves and disregard the benefits of alternatives to defend the status quo for ourselves. In this way, we can continue to indulge in our little vices and avoid undergoing a change process that can be both difficult and painful.
The fact that there may be large variations between different groups’ beliefs about the health effects of different types of nicotine use may also be due to the fact that the relevant knowledge is difficult to access. Information and research on the health effects of switching to nicotine pouches may not get through. Even among pouch users, knowledge is limited, and many may find the information complex to understand or delve into. Almost half of nicotine pouch users (43 per cent) answer that they have neither seen, read, nor heard about the health effects of transitioning from smoking to nicotine pouches. Presumably, this type of knowledge is even less known among smokers.
How Pouch Users Perceive The Harm of Different Nicotine Products
Consumers of oral nicotine generally know that nicotine pouches are less harmful than cigarettes. However, it can be difficult for the individual to assess precisely how big the difference is. On a ten-point scale where cigarettes are a 10, pouch users place nicotine pouches at 2.8 and traditional tobacco snus at 5.6 on average. This is a slight increase compared to a year ago – by 0.3 units for both categories. The shift towards the perception of increased health risk has also occurred for vape/e-cigarettes (0.6 units). The gap between nicotine pouches and traditional snus on the one hand and these alternative nicotine products on the other have thus increased slightly. The acceptance of e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes is also perceived to be lower than for nicotine pouches, which, in addition to health risks, burdens the user with a social stigma.
One driving force that partially explains the relatively higher acceptance of nicotine pouches than cigarettes is the impulse not to harm others. Nicotine pouches do not affect non-users in the same way as, for example, cigarette smoking does. Six out of ten pouch users (58%) state this as one of the main advantages of nicotine pouches compared to other nicotine products.
*Sources:
https://f1000research.com/articles/9-1225
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10401876/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714502/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e-cigarettes-an-evidence-update"
One driving force that partially explains the relatively higher acceptance of nicotine pouches than cigarettes is the impulse not to harm others. Nicotine pouches do not affect non-users in the same way as, for example, cigarette smoking does. Six out of ten pouch users (58%) state this as one of the main advantages of nicotine pouches compared to other nicotine products.
*Sources:
https://f1000research.com/articles/9-1225
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10401876/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714502/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e-cigarettes-an-evidence-update"
Download the Nicotine Pouch UK Report 2023
The Report Contains
- - Best selling brands
- - Best selling products
- - Best selling flavours
- - Best selling formats
- - Best selling strengths
- - How often do you use nicotine pouches?
- - For how long have you been using nicotine pouches?
- - How many cans of nicotine pouches do you use per week?
- - When you buy nicotine pouches, what are the top three most important factors?
- - What makes you try a new product/brand?
- - Do you buy several different products or brands?
- - Why did you start using nicotine pouches?
- - Have you switched from smoking to nicotine pouches?
- - How do you feel after switching from smoking to nicotine pouches?
- - What are the pros of using pouches compared to other nicotine products?
- - Smokers perceived harm of different nicotine products
- - Pouch users perceived harm of different nicotine products
- - How socially acceptable do you consider nicotine pouches to be?
- - How socially acceptable do you consider vaping to be?
- - How socially acceptable to you consider smoking cigarettes to be?
- - How much of your nicotine products do you buy online?
- - Do you feel like politicians and government officials listen and understand you as a nicotine pouch user?