UK Nicotine Pouch Statistics 2026: Users, Market and Rules

Around 1% of adults in Great Britain currently use nicotine pouches. That figure has risen roughly tenfold since 2020, but remains small in absolute terms. Use is heavily concentrated among people who already smoke or vape rather than among people new to nicotine.

This page pulls together the published UK data on nicotine pouch use, who uses them, and the regulatory timeline now underway. All figures come from peer-reviewed research and named surveys rather than industry estimates.

Key takeaways

• Current adult use in Great Britain stands at approximately 1%, up from 0.1% in October 2020
• Adult ever-use reached 5.4% in 2024, having doubled since 2020
• Use is concentrated among men, younger adults, and people who smoke or vape
• Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were introduced to the Great Britain market in 2019
• Until 29 October 2026 pouches sit under general product safety law with no statutory age of sale
• An age of sale of 18 applies from 29 October 2026 under the Tobacco and Vapes Act
• An advertising and sponsorship ban follows on 1 June 2027
• How many people use nicotine pouches in the UK?

The most recent large-scale figure comes from the Smoking Toolkit Study, published in The Lancet Public Health in December 2025. Drawing on 127,793 respondents surveyed monthly between October 2020 and March 2025, it found adult nicotine pouch use rose from 0.1% in October 2020 to 1.0% by March 2025.

A separate analysis published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research in February 2026 reported the same current-use figure of 1.0% for adults, alongside an ever-use figure of 5.4%. Both figures had doubled across the 2020 to 2024 period.

Who uses nicotine pouches in the UK?

The demographic picture is consistent across available research. Use skews male, younger, and toward people with an existing relationship with nicotine.

Population surveys found pouch use over four times more common among men than women. It's also markedly higher among people who already use other nicotine products—current smokers, recent former smokers, e-cigarette users and nicotine replacement therapy users all show higher prevalence than never-smokers.

The pattern points to pouches functioning largely as an alternative format for existing adult nicotine users rather than as a route of first uptake.

What about use among young people?

The Action on Smoking and Health Smokefree GB Youth Survey 2024, overing 2,872 respondents aged 11 to 18, found 3.3% reported ever using a nicotine pouch and 1.2% reported current use.

Those figures are a substantial part of why the law is changing. Until 29 October 2026 there is no statutory minimum age of sale for nicotine pouches in the UK, though responsible retailers apply an 18+ policy voluntarily. From 29 October 2026, the Tobacco and Vapes Act introduces a statutory age of sale of 18.

When did nicotine pouches arrive in the UK?

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were introduced to the Great Britain market in 2019. That makes the category young by comparison with vaping, which is one reason the research base and regulatory framework have both lagged behind adoption.

What is the regulatory position?

Because nicotine pouches contain nicotine but no tobacco leaf, they fell outside both tobacco and vaping legislation. Until October 2026 they're covered by general product safety and labelling law, with no age restriction attached.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and introduces the following timeline. 

Further powers over flavours, packaging, display and nicotine content exist within the Act but require separate regulations and consultation before taking effect.

Eight flavours, 5mg to 20mg, sold to adults aged 18 and over—shop CLEW.

Nicotine is highly addictive. CLEW Pouches UK products are intended for adult users (18+) only. They are not suitable for non-smokers, anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or anyone with a medical condition that could be affected by nicotine. Do not chew or swallow the pouch. If in doubt, please consult a healthcare professional.