Tag: Snus

Stingfree Completes SEK5 Million Share Issue

Photo: Stingfree

Stingfree, a snus startup based in Sweden, has completed a new share issue of SEK5 million ($460,000) in November, resulting in a company valuation of SEK40.6 million.
Demonstrating his confidence in the company’s future, billionaire entrepreneur Erik Selin increased his ownership stake from 15.8 percent to 21.9 percent.
Stingfree offers a patented integrated gum protection product, effectively reducing burning, corrosion and irritation of the gums and thus enabling nicotine pouch use without discomfort.
A spring 2024 pilot study in Sweden revealed significant declines in snus- and pouch-related oral health problems, such as oral lesions and inflamed gums after participants switched from their regular brands to a Stingfree nicotine pouch product for five weeks.
Twenty out of the 23 dentists participating in the study now recommend Stingfree nicotine pouches to pouch using patients who cannot or do not wish to quit.
“Injuries to the oral mucosa and gums are a common consequence of pouch use, regardless of whether the snus contains tobacco or is tobacco-free (nicotine pouches). Independent dental studies in Sweden and Norway published in 2022-2023 indicate that the prevalence of snus lesions affects as many as 70-90 percent of all users, which corresponds to over 1.2 million users in just Sweden and Norway.

Our goal is for Stingfree nicotine pouches to become a new alternative standard for this category of oral nicotine products, as natural as light beverages are for soft drinks and GoreTex is for clothing and shoes.

Daniel Wiberg, CEO, Stingfree

“While other manufacturers compete on flavor and strength, we offer something truly unique—a solution that can actually improve the user’s oral health,” said CEO Daniel Wiberg.
“Our goal is for Stingfree nicotine pouches to become a new alternative standard for this category of oral nicotine products, as natural as light beverages are for soft drinks and GoreTex is for clothing and shoes,” he added.
“Our surveys with over 1,000 participating Swedish snus and nicotine pouch users also show that 67 percent of women and 53 percent of men dislike the burning sensation and the irritation on the gums” said Stingfree founder Bengt Wiberg.
Tobacco Reporter profiled Stingfree in its July 2017 issue (see “Patching the Pouch“).

December 9, 2024
Regulators Urged to Distinguish Combustibles and Smoke-Free

Photo: Finn Bjurvoll Hansen

A study released on May 7 adds further evidence that the harm from nicotine use is determined primarily by the consumption method.
Titled No Smoke, Less Harm, the report details rates of nicotine usage in Sweden and a number of comparable countries, finding that nicotine use was not a factor in tobacco-related disease.
Karl Fagerstrom
While nicotine consumption in Sweden mirrors the European average, the country reports a 41 percent lower incidence of lung cancer and fewer than half the tobacco-related deaths of its European peers. This stark contrast is attributed to the widespread adoption of smoke-free nicotine products such as snus, nicotine pouches and electronic cigarettes.
“This distinction between smoking and the use of smokeless products is crucial,” says Karl Fagerstrom, a public health expert and contributor to the report.
“While nicotine is addictive, it does not cause the serious diseases associated with smoking. Our findings support a shift in focus from cessation to substitution with less harmful alternatives for those unable to stop completely.”
According to the authors, Sweden’s proactive measures in public health education and regulatory frameworks have encouraged a transition to these alternatives, significantly impacting public health outcomes. The report points out that embracing similar harm reduction strategies could be pivotal for other nations striving to reduce the health impacts of tobacco.
“The Swedish experience demonstrates that understanding and addressing public misperceptions about nicotine can lead to health policies that better protect and inform consumers,” said Fagerstrom.

May 8, 2024
General Snus MRTP up for Renewal

Photo: Swedish Match

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on June 26, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the FDA White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Among other topics, the committee will discuss the renewal of a risk modification order submitted by Swedish Match USA for several loose snus and portioned snus products sold under the General brand name.
The meeting will also be webcast.

May 7, 2024
Snus Documentary to Screen in Spain

Image: fergregory

Somos Innovacion announced the avant-premiere of the documentary How Sweden Stopped Smoking by award-winning Polish director Tomasz Agencki. The screening will take place on Feb. 27 at Espacio Balboa in Madrid and will include a panel discussion with leading experts in health and activism.
This documentary delves into the story of how Sweden became a smoke-free nation. Through interviews with scientists, doctors, innovators and artists, Agencki spins a tale that examines the complex interplay of science, politics, history and personal will behind this “Swedish miracle.”
“We are excited to share this inspiring story about the courage and creativity that made a healthier future possible for Swedes,” says Federico N. Fernandez, CEO of Somos Innovacion, in a statement. “We believe the lessons from Sweden’s journey can guide other nations to achieve the same progress.”
Following the screening, a panel of experts composed of Fernando Fernandez Bueno, oncologic surgeon and prominent anti-smoking opinion leader; Josep Maria Ramon Torrell, head of the Tobacco Treatment Unit at Bellvitge Hospital and professor of medicine; Julio Ruades, popular YouTuber and spokesperson for the Spanish Association of Personal Vaporizer Users; Federico N. Fernandez, CEO of Somos Innovacion; and moderated by Carmen Escrig, coordinator of the Spanish Medical Platform for Tobacco Harm Reduction will share unique perspectives and discuss key lessons that inspire other nations to follow Sweden’s example in the fight against smoking.
Space is limited. Reserve free tickets on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/SueciaLibreDeHumo. This avant-premiere is in-person only; it will not be streamed.

February 14, 2024
The Potential of Pouches

Photo: Stefanie Rossel

Some markets have been more receptive to modern oral products than others.

By Stefanie Rossel

The modern oral nicotine category continues growing but struggles to reach a wider global audience. Modern oral nicotine products, which are white, pre-portioned little bags comprising a nicotine-containing carrier material, are considered the advanced, cleaner version of Swedish snus, a pasteurized oral tobacco that is available as loose products or pouches and is credited with helping Sweden achieve its record-low smoking prevalence by offering smokers a less harmful way to consume nicotine.
According to Euromonitor International, global sales of nicotine pouches grew from 17.09 billion units in 2022 to an estimated 20.77 billion units in 2023. The overwhelming majority of sales, however, take place in the U.S., where an estimated 14.97 billion units were sold in 2023 compared to 12.61 billion units in 2022. Sweden ranks second, with 1.8 billion units sold in 2022 and an estimated 2.2 billion units sold in 2023. It is followed by Denmark with a forecast 745.3 million units in 2023 (versus 589.2 million units in 2022), Pakistan and Austria with estimated sales of 695 million units and 477 million units, respectively.
As far as value is concerned, Euromonitor estimates the category to be worth $10.29 billion globally, up from $8.47 billion in 2022. By 2027, the business intelligence firm expects the segment’s value to reach $15.99 billion. Despite their relentless expansion, modern oral nicotine products remain a niche within a niche—they are a small part of a larger oral tobacco market, which accounted for only around 2 percent of the global nicotine industry in 2022.
Raphael Moreau
In the U.S., retail sales of nicotine pouches generated $8.58 billion in 2023 compared to $7.23 billion in the previous year. Raphael Moreau, head analyst at Euromonitor, expects the U.S. modern oral nicotine market to reach $11.03 billion by 2027.
“The U.S. has benefited from a solid legal framework, with the Food and Drug Administration controlling the market chain, requiring authorization to market, nicotine health warnings and premarket assessment,” Moreau says. “Generally, the U.S. has a strong tradition of oral, i.e., chewing, tobacco. This definitely helped. Nicotine pouches are convenient and discreet to use, and they are taking share from chewing tobacco and Swedish-style snus, which has boosted U.S. sales.”
As consumers become more familiar with the product, Moreau anticipates the market to continue growing rapidly. In 2023, just under 3 percent of the U.S. adult population consumed modern oral nicotine products. “Over the next five years, we will see an increase because of more awareness of the brands,” he says. “There is a wide flavor selection, which appeals to consumers who can’t use flavored vape products anymore as they are banned. The return to office work after the Covid pandemic will also contribute to the category’s growth: When working from home, people were more likely to vape. At the office, pouches are more convenient. Besides, the products are used as a cessation aid away from cigarettes and other combustibles.”
Moreau suspects that the majority of modern oral nicotine is used in combination with other tobacco products. “This also has caveats because potentially, consumers may just try them and not become regular users, so prediction is difficult,” he says.

With a 77 percent category retail value share in the third quarter of 2023, Zyn remains the U.S. market leader.
(Photo: Swedish Match)

Zyn Pulls Further Ahead

With a 77 percent category retail value share in the third quarter of 2023, Zyn is the U.S. market leader by a large margin. Shipment volume of Zyn nicotine pouches amounted to 104.5 million cans during that period, a 65.7 percent increase compared to the third quarter of 2022, according to Philip Morris International. PMI became the owner of the Zyn brand through its acquisition of Swedish Match for $16 billion in late 2022. The move has given PMI a comfortable lead in the U.S. nicotine pouch market, where it previously had no presence to speak of, and will help the company to achieve its goal of becoming substantially smoke-free by 2023.
At PMI’s Investor Day Conference in September 2023, Lars Dahlgren, president of smoke-free oral products and CEO of Swedish Match, forecast “stellar growth” for the product also because Zyn is cheaper than cigarettes, retailing at $5 per can compared to a price of $8 for a pack of cigarettes. According to news platform Seeking Alpha, the brand is popular among Generation Z, which has otherwise been a hard market for traditional tobacco companies to crack.
In addition to Zyn, some other brands have made gains recently, according to Moreau. With a retail volume of 15.4 million units and a value share of 11 percent in 2022, Altria’s On! Brand ranks second behind the market leader, followed by Swisher International Group’s Rogue nicotine pouches, with 7.9 million units sold during that period.
The “attractive category dynamics” in the highly competitive U.S. nicotine pouch market also holds potential for new players. In June 2023, ITG Brands acquired a range of nicotine pouches from Canada-based TJP Labs in order to facilitate its entry into the U.S. modern oral market. Following further consumer testing, ITG Brands plans to launch 14 pouch product variants in 2024.
“The category still is very young, so there is no strong brand loyalty, and consumers are likely to try new brands,” comments Moreau. “This makes the market attractive to new entrants. And there’s quite a lot of room for them, as the category is growing very fast.”

Regulation Required

Except for the Nordic countries, where consumers have been familiar with snus for two centuries, the modern oral category is still underdeveloped in the rest of the world.
Japan Tobacco International, present in the segment with its brand Nordic Spirit, sees vast untapped potential. Nordic Spirit was developed in Sweden and has rapidly grown since its launch in 2018. The product is available in the U.K., Ireland, the Philippines and Switzerland. “While the tobacco-free nicotine pouches category is still in its infancy, we already see that many adult tobacco and nicotine consumers globally will be interested in trying the product, helping the new category to grow significantly over the coming years,” says a JTI spokesperson. “For example, smoke-free nicotine pouches have become increasingly popular in the U.K. Responding to this growing trend, the Nordic Spirit brand has witnessed growth and increased its market share to around 45 percent.”
According to Euromonitor, U.K. consumers bought 92.1 million nicotine pouches in 2022. In 2023, the category there grew 54.6 percent.
Pakistan, however, was the country with the largest year-on-year growth rate, with sales in 2023 expected to be 70.7 percent, up from the 127.8 million units sold in 2022. In Pakistan, an estimated 10 million people use smokeless tobacco, which corresponds to more than 40 percent of the country’s total tobacco market. In December 2022, BAT announced that its modern oral nicotine brand Velo, which it had launched in Pakistan in early 2020, had achieved a monthly volume of more than 40 million pouches in the country, making it the company’s third-largest market for nicotine pouches.
Most growth in the category will come from Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, according to Moreau. In Poland, for instance, the category increased by 69.5 percent in 2023. “The Czech Republic is also interesting because it had quite strong demand in 2022 and 2023,” Moreau says. “This is likely to stay [this way], particularly since nicotine pouches are regulated in the country now.”
In May 2023, Czechia’s Ministry of Health issued a decree, modeled on tobacco and e-cigarette legislation, which regulates the composition, appearance, quality and characteristics of nicotine sachets. It also defines the legal age for sale and requires manufacturers and importers of nicotine sachets to register their products with the Ministry of Health. The legislation entered into force on July 1, 2023.
Other countries, by contrast, have been less accommodating, with the Netherlands and Belgium banning modern oral products in April 2023 and October 2023, respectively. The European Commission, too, is reportedly mulling a ban on nicotine pouches for the common market. The products are also prohibited in Australia and New Zealand.
“History has repeatedly shown that bans of legal products often do not lead to their intended goals and instead encourage criminal gangs to increase supply of illegal products to make up for the shortfalls,” warns JTI’s spokesperson. “Instead of an outright ban, we should aim for an evidence-based regulatory framework that acknowledges the potential of nicotine pouches to reduce the risks associated with smoking. At the same time, we must ensure that oral nicotine products aren’t marketed or sold to minors under any circumstances.”
In Germany, modern oral tobacco continues to operate in a regulatory gray area. Nicotine pouches are classified as food in the country, which makes them subject to European food law. Because the EU has not approved nicotine as a food or food ingredient, this means that nicotine pouches cannot be legally traded in Germany.
Despite the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment’s October 2022 acknowledgement that tobacco-free nicotine pouches could reduce the health risks compared to smoking, the products’ legal status remains unchanged. “It will only change after a decision at EU level,” says Moreau. “Germany is a typical case where an uncertain or hostile landscape and a lack of familiarity with the products are two negative factors that are feeding each other. Whenever the legal status is unclear, not exactly defined or restrictive, retailers will basically avoid selling them. Therefore, consumers will not be aware of the products, and they will not trust them. In Germany, nicotine pouches are still available online, but the products are obviously now not as widespread as [they would have been] if they were sold in stores.”

Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.

January 30, 2024
Documentary Celebrates ‘Swedish Miracle’

We Are Innovation (WAI), an activist group, will pre-screen the documentary How Sweden Quit Smoking to a select audience on Nov. 15, 2023, at RSA House in London.
Directed by award-winning Polish filmmaker Tomasz Agencki, the documentary explores how Sweden managed to reduce smoking to levels unrivaled in the European Union and elsewhere.
According to its makers, How Sweden Quit Smoking highlights the determination, innovation and creativity that drove the Swedes toward a milestone unparalleled in contemporary times. The documentary features the perspectives of scholars, doctors, innovators and activists while demonstrating the interplay of science, politics, history and personal responsibility at the center of this journey.
“We are incredibly thrilled to bring this important documentary to the broad audience,” said WAI CEO Federico Fernandez in a statement. “How Sweden Quit Smoking will inspire stakeholders, decision-makers, activists and the general public to pursue innovation and creativity toward a better future for all. This event is a must-attend for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve in leveraging effective innovation methodologies to help transform the world’s most pressing problems.”
“The goal of this documentary is to generate a positive impact on society,” said Agencki. “Through the journey of Sweden toward becoming a smoke-free nation, I hope to inspire people worldwide to embrace innovation, personal responsibility and to work toward a better society.”
Registration is available through Eventbrite.

November 6, 2023
European Union Reviewing Snus

Photo: Marko Hannula

The future of Sweden’s snus, a moist oral tobacco product banned in the EU since 1992, is currently under review as part of the EU’s evaluation of the tobacco directive, reports Euractiv.
Originating in the 18th century, snus is a unique Swedish tobacco product and differs from newer alternatives like heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches. Sweden secured an exemption for snus during its EU accession negotiations, limiting its sale to within the country.
The EU aims to achieve a “Tobacco-free Generation” by 2040 as tobacco is a major health risk, responsible for 27 percent of all cancers in the EU. Sweden, expected to have smoking rates drop below 5 percent in 2023, is at the forefront of this effort.
Patrik Strömer, Secretary-General of the Swedish Snus Manufacturers’ Association, believes that the EU’s ban on snus is due to a lack of knowledge about the product, and he highlights that it has proven beneficial in reducing smoking-related diseases in Sweden.
Karl Fagerström, a tobacco and nicotine researcher, finds it odd that the U.S. has allowed snus in the market while the EU has banned it, despite using similar data. He points to WHO data showing that Swedish snus users have lower smoking-attributable deaths, especially regarding lung cancer.
On the other hand, Italian MEP Alessandra Moretti argues that snus is associated with diseases like cardiovascular issues and cancers of the digestive system. Fagerström counters that snus usage in Sweden is not linked to oral cancer and should be avoided during pregnancy, similar to any nicotine use.
The EU Court of Justice deems tobacco products for oral use harmful, addictive and potentially a gateway to tobacco use. Advocates for snus maintain that in Sweden, snus use doesn’t lead to subsequent smoking, supported by declining smoking rates among the young population.

October 27, 2023
EU Considering Ban on Tobacco-Free Snus

Image: Andrii

In a tweet from Member of Parliament Charlie Weimers, news of a potential ban on snus in the EU has come to light.
“A secret report I shouldn’t have landed on my desk,” the tweet said. “In the report that will be presented to the EU member states this week, there are two notable writings: (1) praise for how successful the snus ban has been and (2) a recommendation that the EU should extend the snus ban to the tobacco-free white snus (nicotine portions).”
“That the EU snus ban is a success is completely wrong,” he wrote. “It is actually snus that makes Sweden the only country in the EU that is on the way to reaching the U.N.’s goal of a smoke-free society (defined as less than 5 percent smokers), which has saved many lives. A ban on nicotine pouches would have been a hard blow to the attempt to eradicate smoking in the EU.
“Unfortunately, the Swedish exception for tobacco snus does not apply to nicotine pouches. If the EU Commission and the member states accept the report’s recommendation, nicotine pouches will also be banned in Sweden. Men have largely opted out of smoking in favor of snus while women looking for less dangerous alternatives choose nicotine pouches more often. Therefore, such a ban would hit women extra hard.
“The report has been written by consultants who work for DG SANTE (the EU’s health bureaucrats), and the writings probably would not have crept into the report if they did not have the support of the bureaucrats. Most likely, this is a test balloon from the bureaucracy. If the proposal falls to the ground at the meeting with the member states, the bureaucrats can blame the consultants, and if the proposal does not meet resistance, the bureaucrats can interpret it as a clear support and work on with a sharp proposal. This is how you often work in the EU’s bureaucracy.
“The government must therefore already make it clear at the meeting this week that our country opposes a ban on white snus and work to ensure that citizens continue to have the opportunity to choose the least harmful way to use nicotine. Our negotiators are also welcome to raise the issue of the risks to public health of having too many do-gooding bureaucrats in DG SANTE.”
The news has left many angry, with calls for “SWEXIT” if the proposal passes—meaning, those against the measure are calling for Sweden to leave the EU if the ban passes.

October 4, 2023
Sweden to Slash Snus Tax

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

The Swedish government intends to reduce the tax on snus by 20 percent and increase the tax on combustible tobacco products by 9 percent.
In a note on its website, the government said the move would lower the price of a snus can by approximately SEK3 and reduce the price of a cigarette pack by about SEK4.
Parliament had previously decided to increase tobacco taxes in 2023 and 2024. However, recent inflation has been higher than the forecasts upon which the increases were based.
Sweden already taxes smokeless tobacco at lower rates than smoked tobacco because it believes combustible products present a greater health risk.
The changes are expected to take effect on Nov. 1, 2024.
Tobacco harm reduction advocates applauded the decision. “Sweden’s new taxation policy is an exemplary move in fast-tracking the country even further towards its smoke-free target,” said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, in a statement.
“By making less harmful alternatives like snus more accessible through tax reductions, Sweden is not just theorizing harm reduction; it’s effectively implementing it. It’s time for the EU to take a leaf out of Sweden’s book.”

September 7, 2023
Fighting the Dip Mentality

Photo: Andrey Popov

What will it take for women who smoke to consider smokeless?

By Cheryl K. Olson

When Brittney Niquette first tried smokeless tobacco two years ago, it was from a sense of obligation. She runs customer support for Lucy Goods, a maker of nicotine pouches, gums and lozenges.
“I like to know what our products taste like, so that I have a genuine opinion and feedback to give customers,” she explains. “They’re just not marketed to women. So I honestly didn’t know what a nicotine pouch was. I was thinking tobacco, like, brown in a pouch.”
Niquette started smoking at 15, repeatedly quitting and restarting. She now uses tobacco-free pouches every day. “My favorite is the berry citrus. And I like espresso flavor with coffee in the morning.”
In Scandinavian countries, widespread use of smokeless tobacco products has driven smoking rates to astonishing lows. In his recent article “Can alternative nicotine put the final nail in the smoking coffin?,”Karl Fagerstrom writes, “The availability and use of snus has contributed to Sweden’s record-low prevalence of smoking and the lowest level of tobacco-related mortality among men in Europe. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the ‘Swedish experience.’”
Public health modeling that factors in that experience and the low-harm chemical constituents of modern products suggest that a huge number of deaths could be averted if more people switched, as Niquette did, from cigarettes to smokeless. But so far, most of those switching, even to the newest smokeless alternatives, have been men.
“Of all adult smokers, about 45 percent are women, and 55 percent are men,” says Allison Bolyard, vice president for innovative nicotine products strategy at Altria. “But if you look at lifetime smokers who have successfully switched, only about one-third are women. We see a big opportunity in providing alternatives for women that they can enjoy and can be successful in switching, because they’re falling behind.”
In recent behavioral studies on smokeless products that I’ve conducted for industry, women described negative stereotypes about smokeless users. One said, “You kinda have to fight the dip mentality. Marketing needs to be classy and discreet. Not a country boy dip and spit.”
What innovations and approaches might get women who don’t want to quit nicotine to consider a smokeless alternative? To better understand this, I talked with people in industry working to provide appealing options for women. I also collaborated with the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) on a survey of its female members about their smokeless tobacco perceptions and experiences.

Deadly Misperceptions

Surveys consistently find that smokeless products are wrongly seen as more risky than e-cigarettes and often as more risky than smoking. A recent analysis of the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study found that a higher percentage of Americans believe smokeless tobacco products are more harmful than cigarettes than believe the (actual) reverse to be true. What’s more, “the study demonstrates that harm perceptions not only predict future product uptake in nonproduct users but also predict continued product use among existing users.”
Unfortunately, these misperceptions are even more widespread among women. Previous researchfound that among people in the U.S. and Canada who smoke, women were significantly less likely than men to agree with a statement that some types of smokeless tobacco are less harmful than cigarettes.

Daunting Barriers

Along with exaggerated fears of health risks, there are psychological and practical barriers to female interest in smokeless products. (More on these below.) One is outdated perceptions of smokeless products. Discreet modern products, such as tobacco-free nicotine pouches, do not involve what one CASAA member labeled “the nasty habit of spitting out the juice.” As Niquette’s story above implies, these small, white pouches bear little resemblance to the stereotype of a wet, brown wad of chew.
Another barrier is the unfamiliar mode of delivery. Bolyard previously oversaw Altria’s On! tobacco-free nicotine pouch line. She notes that users of traditional moist smokeless tobacco (MST) are about 95 percent male: “As opposed to men, women who smoke cigarettes aren’t used to putting, and parking, a product in their mouth.”
A third barrier is fear of being associated with negative stereotypes of smokeless tobacco users. In my previous research, smokeless users were perceived as being mostly men, “biker guys and baseball players.” There were mentions of “gross people” with brown or black teeth.
Based on this, women were reluctant to be observed using smokeless. One said, “Folks were noticing it [the round pouch tin] in my pocket and expecting me to spit somewhere.”
Unfamiliar, uncomfortable mouth sensations are a fourth barrier that may turn off women. In the CASAA survey, a number of women referred to “burn” or irritation as a reason for stopping smokeless use or avoiding certain brands.
“The familiar stinging/burning sensation on the gum when trying either snus or nicotine pouches is a huge deterrent to switch to smokeless oral products, especially for women,” says Bengt Wiberg, a Swedish economist turned snus advocate and innovator. His startup company, Sting Free, markets nicotine pouches with a patented shield technology that provides flavor and nicotine sans discomfort. “I think the U.S. expression ‘You only have one chance to make a first impression’ applies very much to this issue,” he says.
Wiberg also notes that today’s smaller, slimmer pouch products fit more comfortably in women’s mouths. Niquette seconded this, saying, “I could be talking to somebody, and you won’t know I have one in.”
Bolyard noted that Altria’s On! product was designed to minimize some of these barriers. The can is a square shape instead of an MST-like circle and includes 20 small pouches to match the typical cigarette pack size.

Unexpected Benefits

As women get better acquainted with smokeless products, they may discover unexpected benefits over other nicotine-delivery methods. Niquette appreciates the hands-free convenience of smokeless tobacco. “Women do so much stuff: We’re busy people—we cook, clean, raise kids. Sometimes your hands are full,” she points out. “So vaping or smoking is not an option.”
“I have three computer screens; I’m typing all day,” she adds. “And I don’t have to break. I can just grab a pouch out of the can, put [it] in my mouth and keep going.”
To ease the transition, Niquette suggests that women start with a smokeless alternative that comes in flavors they enjoy in other products, such as fruity or minty gum.

“Not Messy or Gross Like I Thought They Would Be”
Here is a selection of comments from 260 female members of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association on what makes women who smoke decide to try or reject smokeless tobacco products.
We defined “smokeless tobacco” as including nicotine pouches, snus, dip and chew. However, we learned that unfamiliarity with these products extends to the terminology. One wrote, “I’m confused; I thought vaping was smokeless tobacco?”
What would make women consider a smokeless product? The most common response was “nothing.” This included variations such as “threat of death,” “a million dollars,” or less hyperbolically, “a vaping ban.” However, a few respondents were open-minded: “I have no idea what it is, but this email was enough to have me interested. I currently vape.”
Factors listed that might make smokeless products appealing included: not having to spit, smaller size, “a bigger spectrum of flavors,” “cleaner,” “nonstaining” and “not noticeable to others.”
Few who had tried traditional moist smokeless tobacco found it appealing. One said, “It was convenient, and there was no annoying smoke, but it irritated my mouth a bit, and I worried about my teeth or developing cancer.” “The smell and the taste [were] overpowering, the ‘juice’ burned my mouth, spitting was gross, but swallowing was even worse,” said another.
But tobacco-free pouches, and to a lesser extent snus, found some favor. A user of both said they are “not messy or gross like I thought they would be and are advertised in the media.” Reasons for trying these products among those who use(d) them include not being able to smoke or vape at work or while traveling; wanting to quit vaping (“to give my lungs a break”), ease of access (“Vaping products became less available online … pouches were available at our convenience store”), ease of use, and curiosity.
Other positive comments included “Liked that it was discreet and just nicotine”; “It works just as well as the smoking of something, and it’s easy to just spit it out when you have enough”; “Use to get through the day at work without having to take a break. I liked how they curb cravings; the flavors and the size of the pouch makes it easy to be discreet”; and “Can do them anywhere. Try these pouches!! No smoke, but satisfaction given.”
Women who tried and stopped using pouches gave a variety of reasons. Some missed the “hand-to-mouth action—still wanted to smoke.” Others complained of hiccups, nausea or irritation: “I’m not a big fan of pouches because they burn the inside of my cheeks.” A few mentioned other sources of discomfort, such as “uncomfortable material that hurts my gums/mouth” or too much bulk. There was also just difficulty getting used to this type of product: “Flavors were good, but it was weird having something in my mouth that I wasn’t supposed to be chewing.” Some disliked the taste.
Because “smokeless” received various interpretations, many women left comments on other nicotine products, including gums, lozenges, tablets or sprays. These received a similar range of positive comments and complaints. This supports the idea that women seeking alternatives to cigarettes may have to try a variety of products and brands to find their fit. As one wrote, “Try it if it will benefit your health and you’re OK with it. To each their own.”
In short, it’s clear that many women hold strong, perhaps outdated stereotypes of smokeless tobacco. Many will never try it. However, there appears to be an untapped demand for the benefits some women report from modern oral nicotine products: a discreet product to use where no smoke or vapor is allowed or a hands-free product that gives nicotine and flavor without effort. –C.K.O

Cheryl K. Olson is a California-based public health researcher who specializes in behavioral health issues and consults on tobacco product behaviors via McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors. She spent 15 years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.

April 1, 2023