Nicotine pouches are a relatively new U.S. nicotine product category. They entered the U.S. market in 2016, and the latest figures in this article describe authorized products and 2024 use among U.S. middle and high school students. The data also show how pouch use compares with e-cigarette use and which flavors and brands are most common.
Table of contents
- Key nicotine pouch statistics
- FDA-authorized products and manufacturers
- Youth nicotine pouch use in 2024
- Frequency and brand patterns
- Flavors and product preferences
- Nicotine pouches compared with e-cigarettes
- Broader tobacco-use context
Key nicotine pouch statistics
The following figures provide a concise view of the category and its recent youth-use profile:
- Nicotine pouches entered the U.S. market in 2016, according to the CDC nicotine pouches page.
- In 2024, an estimated 480,000 U.S. middle and high school students currently used nicotine pouches, according to the CDC MMWR 2024 report.
- Current pouch use was 1.8% among middle and high school students combined in 2024.
- The rate was 2.4% among high school students and 1.0% among middle school students.
- Put another way, 1 in 42 high school students and 1 in 100 middle school students reported past-30-day nicotine pouch use in 2024, according to the CDC youth tobacco use page.
- Among current youth pouch users, 29.3% reported frequent use and 22.4% reported daily use in 2024.
- A flavored product was used by 85.6% of current youth pouch users.
- Mint was the most common flavor at 53.3%, followed by fruit at 22.4% and menthol at 19.3%.
These measures are not interchangeable. “Current” use refers to the survey measure for present use, while the past-30-day figures describe use during the preceding 30 days. Frequent and daily use describe patterns among current pouch users, not percentages of all students.
The CDC nicotine pouches page says there are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches, and that nicotine is highly addictive. It also says nicotine is toxic to developing fetuses. Those statements are health guidance from CDC, not additional prevalence measurements.
FDA-authorized products and manufacturers
The FDA’s authorized nicotine pouch page is described as an up-to-date list of all nicotine pouch products authorized by the FDA. The FDA nicotine pouch authorization page says only authorized nicotine pouch products may be lawfully sold in the United States.
The page was current as of December 19, 2025 and listed 2 manufacturers with 26 authorized products in total. The manufacturer breakdown was:
| Manufacturer | Authorized products listed | Examples of listed strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Helix Innovations | 6 | 6 mg and 9 mg |
| Swedish Match USA | 20 | 3 mg and 6 mg |
| Total | 26 | — |
Helix Innovations had 6 authorized on! PLUS variants: 6 mg Mint, 9 mg Mint, 6 mg Tobacco, 9 mg Tobacco, 6 mg Wintergreen, and 9 mg Wintergreen.
Swedish Match USA had 20 authorized ZYN variants. The 3 mg products listed were ZYN Chill, ZYN Menthol, ZYN Cinnamon, ZYN Peppermint, ZYN Citrus, ZYN Smooth, ZYN Coffee, ZYN Spearmint, ZYN Cool Mint, and ZYN Wintergreen. The 6 mg list included the same ten named varieties: Chill, Menthol, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Citrus, Smooth, Coffee, Spearmint, Cool Mint, and Wintergreen.
This product count is a dated regulatory snapshot rather than a forecast of future authorizations. It also does not represent every nicotine pouch product ever sold or every product that may be discussed in consumer research. The relevant measurement date is December 19, 2025, as shown on the FDA page.
Youth nicotine pouch use in 2024
The 2024 estimates show a higher reported rate among high school students than middle school students. High school current use was 2.4%, compared with 1.0% for middle school students. The combined estimate was 1.8%, and the estimated number of current users across the two school groups was 480,000.
| Student group | Current nicotine pouch use, 2024 | Equivalent description supplied by CDC |
|---|---|---|
| Middle school | 1.0% | 1 in 100 students |
| High school | 2.4% | 1 in 42 students |
| Middle and high school combined | 1.8% | Estimated 480,000 students |
The figures come from the CDC MMWR 2024 report and the CDC youth tobacco use page. They describe U.S. middle and high school students in 2024, not adults and not the entire U.S. population.
Pouch use also appeared alongside broader tobacco-product exposure. In 2024, 12.9% of middle school students and 23.6% of high school students had ever tried a tobacco product. Current use of multiple tobacco products was 2.1% among middle school students and 3.7% among high school students. Current use of any tobacco product was 5.4% among middle school students and 10.1% among high school students.
These broader measures should not be added to the pouch percentages. A student can appear in more than one product category, and the measures describe different outcomes: ever use, current use of multiple products, and current use of any tobacco product.
Frequency and brand patterns
Among youth who currently used nicotine pouches in 2024, 29.3% reported frequent use and 22.4% reported daily use. These percentages indicate that use was not limited to occasional experimentation for every current user, although the supplied figures do not provide a separate count for frequent or daily users.
ZYN was the most commonly reported brand. It was used by 68.7% of current youth pouch users when respondents reported brands used, and it was the usual brand for 62.4% of youth pouch users overall. Among high school pouch users, ZYN was the usual brand for 72.0%.
The brand-use figures reported in the CDC MMWR 2024 report were:
- ZYN: 68.7% used the brand; 62.4% reported it as their usual brand overall.
- on!: 14.2% used the brand.
- Rogue: 13.6% used the brand.
- Velo: 10.7% used the brand.
- Juice Head ZTN: 9.8% used the brand.
- Among high school pouch users, 72.0% reported ZYN as their usual brand.
These percentages are not mutually exclusive where the survey asked about brands used. Therefore, they should not be totaled as if each youth selected only one brand.
Flavors and product preferences
Flavoring was common among current youth pouch users in 2024. Overall, 85.6% used a flavored nicotine pouch. The flavor distribution included mint at 53.3%, fruit at 22.4%, and menthol at 19.3%.
The school-level figures were similar but not identical:
- 85.4% of middle school pouch users used flavored nicotine pouches.
- 86.1% of high school pouch users used flavored nicotine pouches.
- Mint accounted for 58.8% of flavor use among high school pouch users.
- Fruit accounted for 27.7% of flavor use among middle school pouch users.
- 9.9% of youth pouch users reported exclusive use of tobacco-flavored or unflavored pouches.
The high proportion using flavored products and the lower percentage reporting exclusive tobacco-flavored or unflavored use describe different response groupings. The supplied data do not establish that the difference is a direct complement, and the flavor categories may allow more than one response.
Flavor patterns are also visible in the FDA-authorized product list. Authorized ZYN names included Cinnamon, Peppermint, Citrus, Coffee, Spearmint, Cool Mint, Wintergreen, Chill, Menthol, and Smooth, each listed in either 3 mg or 6 mg variants. Authorized on! PLUS products included Mint and Wintergreen at 6 mg and 9 mg, as well as Tobacco at those two strengths.
Nicotine pouches compared with e-cigarettes
The 2024 youth data put nicotine pouch use in a broader smoke-free and aerosol-product context. Current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students was 5.9%, compared with 1.8% current nicotine pouch use. The estimated number of current e-cigarette users was 1.63 million, compared with 480,000 current pouch users.
| Measure among middle and high school students | Nicotine pouches | E-cigarettes |
|---|---|---|
| Current use, 2024 | 1.8% | 5.9% |
| Estimated current users, 2024 | 480,000 | 1.63 million |
| Frequent use among current users | 29.3% | 38.4% |
| Daily use among current users | 22.4% | 26.3% |
| Use of flavored product | 85.6% | 87.6% |
Current e-cigarette use declined from 7.7% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024. The estimated number of current e-cigarette users fell from 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024. The supplied data do not provide a comparable year-over-year pouch series, so they do not support a trend calculation for pouches.
Among current e-cigarette users in 2024, 55.6% used disposable devices and 36.1% used Elf Bar. Fruit was the top e-cigarette flavor at 62.8%; candy was reported by 33.3%, and mint by 25.1%. Those product, brand, and flavor measures are for current e-cigarette users, not pouch users.
The comparison is about reported product use, not an assessment that one product is safe or risk-free. CDC states that there are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches, and that nicotine is highly addictive.
Broader tobacco-use context
The 2024 youth estimates show that nicotine pouches were one part of a larger tobacco-use picture. Current use of any tobacco product was 5.4% among middle school students and 10.1% among high school students. By comparison, current pouch use was 1.0% and 2.4%, respectively.
Ever trying a tobacco product was more common than current use: 12.9% of middle school students and 23.6% of high school students had ever tried one. Multiple-product current use was 2.1% among middle school students and 3.7% among high school students.
For readers focused on air quality and smoke-free living, the reported product distinctions matter. Nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes are separate categories in these statistics, and the figures do not measure indoor air concentrations, secondhand exposure, or the effect of switching products. They quantify use, product preferences, and regulatory listings for the specified periods and populations.