Nicotine pouch use and associated characteristics among U.S. adults: Tobacco use supplement to the current population survey, 2022–2023

Introduction Despite a recent rise in nicotine pouch sales, nationally representative data on demographic characteristics and patterns of use are lacking. We utilized the 2022–2023 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey to estimate the prevalence of nicotine pouch use among U.S. young adults and adults stratified by nicotine pouch use, demographic characteristics, and other tobacco product use patterns. Methods Data were collected in September 2022, January 2023, and May 2023. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals of nicotine pouch use. Estimates were compared by patterns of use, age, other tobacco product use, and administration month. Results Among respondents (N = 114,206), 2.8% (n = 3,542) reported ever nicotine pouch use and 0.4% (n = 539) reported current use. People who ever and currently use nicotine pouches were more likely to be male, non-Hispanic White, aged 35–54 years, and living in a metropolitan area. Current nicotine pouch use was most prevalent among people who currently use smokeless tobacco (10.5%), formerly used smokeless tobacco (3.6%), and who use any tobacco products (1.2%). Among those who reported ever-use of nicotine pouches the proportion reporting current use across successive cross-sectional study waves was 12.6% (September 2022), 15.4% (January 2023), and 19.7% (May 2023) and almost all people who use nicotine pouches reported other tobacco product use. Conclusions Nicotine pouch use was low among U.S. young adults (18–24 years) and adults (≥25 years) in 2022–2023. Given the higher prevalence estimates of current nicotine pouch use among people who ever use in May 2023 than in September 2022, ongoing surveillance is important to monitor patterns of use.