Implications for rising nicotine pouch use in Great Britain

Since their arrival in 2019, nicotine pouches have become an increasingly visible part of the nicotine market in Great Britain, promoted through billboards, social media, and sponsorships of motorsports and music festivals. Their rise in popularity has taken place in a regulatory vacuum, with no limits on age-of-sale or nicotine strength and minimal restrictions on advertising. The public health impact will depend on who is using them and for what purpose: are they more often a tool for cessation and harm reduction among people who smoke, or a new route into nicotine for those who might otherwise never have used it? This presentation will draw on new population data to address these questions and consider what the UK’s forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill could mean for their future.