Key takeaways
- Nicotine pouches ease withdrawals, replacing tobacco cravings.
- Plant-based fibers and sweeteners mask nicotine taste.
- Insert pouch between cheek and gum easily.
- Inspired by 18th-century Snus, pouches lack evidence.
- NRT products, like gums, more effective substitutes.
Withdrawals are the most difficult part of quitting smoking. In just a few hours, you’ll want to have another hit of cigarette. Nicotine, the highly addictive but relatively harmless chemical in cigarettes, is to blame for this.
To cushion the impact of nicotine withdrawal, GPs will prescribe the right amount of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to ease a smoker’s withdrawal.
While not an NRT, nicotine pouches have become quite popular as cigarette substitutes for many smokers — some even claiming it has helped them quit smoking.
But, do these pouches and Snus really work? Let’s learn more about these products and if they can really help you stop smoking for good.
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How Do Nicotine Pouches Work?
It’s true that Snus and nicotine pouches are free from cigarette smoke — the primary danger of smoking. It only contains nicotine salts, plant-based fibres, and sweeteners to mask the raw taste of nicotine.
To use them is simple: just put them between your cheek and gum. It has a soft membrane that makes it easy to supply a regular dose of nicotine into the body.
The NRT version of nicotine pouch is the nicotine gum, which requires you to chew it for a bit then let it rest in your mouth until you need to chew another time to extract nicotine in small amounts.
Snus, which were an 18th century product popular in Sweden, were relatively more dangerous than nicotine pouches. They only contained tobacco leaves and plant fibres.
Today’s nicotine pouches use nicotine salts with sweeteners to mask the strong taste of nicotine.
Without combustion, a nicotine pouch should help you stop smoking and contain your withdrawals, right?
Are Nicotine Pouches Effective?
NRT gums and lozenges (also likely inspired by nicotine pouches and Snus) are far more effective in helping smokers during withdrawal periods.
While the pouches can alleviate cravings as it introduces nicotine into the system, they might not have the controlled amount of nicotine designed to help quit smoking found in NRT products.
There is also a lack of evidence that nicotine pouches can be substitutes for NRT products. Some studies may have shown it contains the same levels of nicotine as NRTs, but without further data, it’s best to use data-backed and proven tools to address withdrawals.
Other studies also show that nicotine pouches are ‘situational’ substitutes — meaning that some smokers might not use them to quit, but use them as substitutes for nicotine consumption in non-smoking areas.
Studies also illustrate that nicotine pouches introduce higher levels of nicotine compared to a single cigarette, which might cause severe side effects compared to using NRT.
In case you also find NRT products failing to help you quit, instead of Snus and nicotine pouches, a GP can prescribe nicotine vaping products (NVPs) from pharmacies as a second-line tool to help you quit.
What Can I Use Rather Than Nicotine Pouches?
NRT products have worked well for many ex-smokers, but they don’t always work for everyone. After assessing your programme’s progress, your GP may prescribe medical NVPs sold in pharmacies so you can succeed in your quit journey.
NVPs imitate various aspects of a typical cigarette, such as the hand-to-mouth gesture, inhale/exhale, and throat hit. The small size of NVPs fits most pockets, making them easily accessible as substitutes for cigarettes when having your morning coffee or enjoying your night with friends.
According to the latest Cochrane Review, there is now high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRTs in helping smokers quit. So, instead of nicotine pouches, NVPs may be the key for you to kick the habit.
Do Nicotine Pouches Cause Cancer?
The carcinogenic chemicals found in cigarette smoke cause cancer, not its nicotine content. This means non-combustible products like nicotine pouches, NRT products, and NVPs do not contain these carcinogenic chemicals.
With every puff of a cigarette, you’re inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide and carcinogenic tar, which stays in your lungs.
Cigarette smoke also contains benzene, which causes leukemia, and formaldehyde, a chemical with a wide range of industrial uses, but certainly not for human consumption.
Cigarette smoke also contains traces of cadmium, a heavy metal found in batteries.
Summary
Nicotine pouches do well to keep you off cigarette smoke. However, the lack of data and regulations on these products should be considered before using them.
It is strongly recommended to continue with NRT products, NVPs and a smoking cessation programme to help you kick smoking out of your life for good.
You’re reading this post because you want to know more about nicotine pouches and if they can work for you. We hope you found the information here helpful.
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