How do Nicotine Pouches work?

Nicotine Replacement Therapy is something that many people will opt to use when they are wanting to quit smoking. Traditional methods of NRT have been around for a long time, such as Nicotine Patches, Nicotine Gum, Lozenges and Nicotine Spray, all of which contains small amounts of Nicotine which can be absorbed into a persons body, and settle down the cravings that they may be feeling when quitting smoking. 

In recent years, E-Cigarettes have become people’s preferred method of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, with the volume of adult e-cigarette users reaching an all time high in the United Kingdom. But another form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy that is becoming popular is Nicotine Pouches. They’ve been about for a few years now, but you may still be unfamiliar with how they work and why they are a good option for you if you’ve recently quit smoking. 

In this blog, I’m going to give a detailed explanation of how Nicotine Pouches work, and how they can make the task of quitting smoking as easy and stress free as possible. Let’s get into it! 

How does a Nicotine Pouch work? 

To start this article off, let’s discuss the question in topic for this article which is how does a nicotine pouch work? It’s relatively simple and straight forward, and I’ll break it down below. 

Using a Nicotine Pouch is a really easy thing to do, all you need to do is take a white pouch out of your can you’ve bought, and place it in your mouth, normally in between your upper lip and gum so it rests between there comfortably. The pouches are always made of a soft fibre so it will be relatively comfortable while they’re in situ. I always place mine to the side of my upper lip and gum just so it’s out of the way. And then leave it there for around 45-60 minutes which is the usual time frame to feel the effects of the nicotine pouch doing it’s work! 

The nicotine is then absorbed into your body through your gums, and it’s a slow consistent absorption rate, and will last for the whole time that you use the Nicotine Pouch for. 

When you first put a Nicotine Pouch in your mouth, you will feel a ‘tingling’ sensation in your mouth, this is perfectly normal so don’t panic! This is just the nicotine taking effect on your gums, and being absorbed into your body. Some people do report this to be similar to a burning sensation, which it definitely is not, and can be unpleasant for some. Try and persevere with it as the tingling does settle down the longer the Pouch is in your mouth, normally within the first 15 minutes or so. 

The flavour of the Pouch you have bought will come through quite strongly as well and should last the duration of the pouch being used, so aim to buy yourself a flavour that you enjoy. 

After 45 minutes to one hour, you can take the pouch out of your mouth and dispose of it in the nearest bin, or in the storage compartment on your can which is on top of the lid of the can, very convenient if you’re on the go and can’t access a bin to discard your used pouches. 

What are Nicotine Pouches?

Nicotine Pouches are exactly what they are described as! They are white pouches that contain Nicotine and other essential ingredients (I’ll detail this below) they are normally small and discreet in design, but this does vary depending which brand you buy.

They do not contain any form of tobacco and are a tobacco free alternative for a person to still get their Nicotine fix without having to consume tobacco. A safer, and healthier alternative for Nicotine.

What’s in a Nicotine Pouch? 

It’s pretty obvious the primary ingredient in a Nicotine Pouch is in fact Nicotine. The levels of Nicotine contained in each pouch is dependant on which strength you buy, as they range from 4mg which is suitable for someone who is new to using Nicotine Pouches and has a relatively low tolerance for Nicotine and go all the way up to 20mg, which is only recommended for someone who has a high tolerance for Nicotine as this could be overwhelming for someone who only has a low tolerance. 

Other key ingredients are added in such as flavourings (if you buy a flavoured Nicotine Pouch) plant based fibres, binding agents, Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerine both of which are primary ingredients in Vape juice, in case you didn’t already know. 

And that’s it for what’s contained in a Nicotine Pouch! Nothing nasty, nor harmful to a person’s health. Snus pouches are what contain tobacco leaves, and is classed as an oral tobacco product but they are banned from sale in the UK as well as the EU. 

Are Nicotine Pouches an effective way to quit smoking? 

In my opinion, yes Nicotine Pouches are an effective way to quit smoking, and the statistics that show the number of people now using white pouches as their preferred Nicotine Replacement Therapy option is proof that they are in fact an effective way to quit smoking. 

Nicotine Pouches provide a tobacco free alternative for people who want to quit smoking, but in turn, doesn’t want to give up nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, and giving it up is not an easy task which is why it’s always recommended that people use a form of NRT to help them overcome it. 

I came across a clinical study that was done comparing how fast the release of Nicotine into the body was from a Nicotine Pouch as well as a cigarette. The study showed that the release and absorption of Nicotine from a white pouch was slower than what the rate was from smoking a combustible cigarette over a 60 minute time frame, but we knew this already as I’ve mentioned they are a slow releasing form of Nicotine. 

What was interesting though, was the fact that a Nicotine Pouch curbed cravings for Nicotine considerably quicker than what chewing Nicotine Gum did for a person. So it is an effective method of NRT compared to other forms of “traditional” Nicotine Replacement Therapy options. 

It’s always advisable to use just one form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy when you’re wanting to quit smoking, such as Nicotine Pouches, instead of various options like using them alongside Nicotine gum or lozenges for example. 

Are Nicotine Pouches safe to use? 

Whilst there has not been a clear cut answer to this due to the lack of scientific studies or evidence done on the subject, it can be “unofficially” said that Nicotine Pouches are considerably safer to use to get your Nicotine fix than smoking cigarettes for example. 

When a cigarette is lit, over 7000 chemicals are produced within the smoke, and that is ingested into a persons body and organs. At least 70 of these chemicals are proven to have cancer causing properties as well which is just awful to think about in reality! 

As I’ve stated, Nicotine is not a harmful chemical and is not one of the “cancer causing” chemicals that many do wrongly believe it is. Using Nicotine Pouches are a safer and healthier option compared to smoking cigarettes.