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Tobacco-free nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a representative population survey 2020–2021

Tattan-Birch, Harry; Jackson, Sarah E; Dockrell, Martin; Brown, Jamie; (2022) Tobacco-free nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a representative population survey 2020–2021. Nicotine & Tobacco Research , Article ntac099. 10.1093/ntr/ntac099. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are products that are placed between the lip and gum, where they deliver nicotine to users. Little is known about nicotine pouch use in Great Britain since they entered the market in 2019. METHODS: Data came from a monthly representative survey of the adult (≥18y) population in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) between November 2020 and October 2021 (n=25,698). We estimated the weighted prevalence of pouch use, overall and stratified by demographics, smoking status, and other nicotine use. RESULTS: Nicotine pouch use was rare among adults, with a weighted prevalence of just 0.26% (95% compatibility interval [CI]=0.19-0.35). Prevalence doubled from November 2020 to October 2021 (0.14% to 0.32%; Prevalence ratio [PR]=2.22, 95%CI=1.33-3.70). Pouch use was four times more common among men than women (0.42% versus 0.09%; PR=4.55, 95%CI=2.27-9.09) but less common in older age groups (p<.001). Pouch use was more prevalent among current smokers (0.87%; PR=13.60, 95%CI=5.46-33.89), recent former smokers (0.97%; PR=15.21, 95%CI=4.03-57.42), and long-term (>1y) former smokers (0.24%; PR=3.71, 95%CI=1.36-10.15), compared with never smokers (0.06%). Prevalence was also elevated among e-cigarette (1.64% versus 0.15%; PR=10.59, 95%CI=5.74-19.52) and nicotine replacement therapy users (2.02% versus 0.21%; PR=9.75, 95%CI=4.64-20.49). CONCLUSIONS: One in 400 adults in Great Britain use nicotine pouches, but prevalence increased from 2020 to 2021. IMPLICATIONS: Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were introduced to the market in Great Britain in 2019. We found that, while pouch use is currently rare in Great Britain, these products have become more popular over time. Pouch use is largely concentrated among younger and middle-aged men who use other nicotine products and have a history of smoking. Continued monitoring of nicotine pouch use is needed.

Type: Article
Title: Tobacco-free nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a representative population survey 2020–2021
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntac099
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntac099
Language: English
Additional information: © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: nicopods, nicotine pouches, oral nicotine, smokeless tobacco, snus, zyn
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10147154
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