One-third of young Canadians have tried nicotine pouches

Nicotine pouch use among young Canadians has exploded in recent years, with new research revealing that more than one-third of people aged 17 to 27 have tried them — a surge that's alarmed health researchers and prompted political debate.

The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, tracking 3,400 Canadians since 2020, found that pouch use jumped from 7.6 per cent in 2022 to 34.8 per cent by 2026. Even more striking: regular use (within the last month) skyrocketed from 1 per cent to 8.5 per cent in the same period.

"This is a rapid change in growth," said Michael Chaiton, director of the research unit and senior scientist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "That is something you don't see very often, and something that needs attention."

The tobacco-less packets, placed between the lip and gum, were originally marketed as a smoking-cessation tool. But they've become wildly popular with young people who never smoked. Only one-third of pouch users in the study were also cigarette smokers, suggesting the product has created a new generation of nicotine users rather than replacing cigarettes.

Nicotine is highly addictive and harmful to developing brains. Exposure at a young age increases the risk of long-term nicotine addiction and progression to other nicotine products.

The World Health Organization issued a warning last month that pouches are being aggressively marketed to youth and recommends governments restrict access. Canada restricted sales in 2024, limiting them to pharmacies and banning flavoured varieties. But the federal Conservatives and tobacco industry have launched a "Free the Zyn" petition arguing the restrictions are unfair and push adults toward the black market. Imperial Tobacco, which manufactures Zonnic (the only brand approved in Canada), has lobbied to loosen the rules.

The data underscores a widening gap between regulation and teen adoption.