Research Brief | Nicotine pouch use among Canadian adolescents has drawn close to cigarettes

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2Firsts, September 2, 2025 — In August 2025, the Canadian Journal of Public Health published a paper titled “Emerging use of oral nicotine pouches among Canadian adolescents: Findings from the COMPASS-Quebec study.” Conducted by researchers from the University of Waterloo, Université Laval, and Quebec public-health agencies, the study draws on the 2024 COMPASS-Quebec student survey to examine adolescent use of oral nicotine pouches, risk perceptions, and co-use with other nicotine products.

The study notes that oral nicotine pouches (e.g., ZYN, ZONNIC) have expanded rapidly in global markets in recent years and have attracted attention from younger populations. Unlike cigarettes or e-cigarettes, pouches contain no tobacco and produce no smoke, and can be used discreetly in almost any setting. Although Health Canada issued regulations in 2024 limiting sales to pharmacies and prohibiting certain flavors, these products may still be obtained illegally via convenience stores, tobacco shops, and online channels; some products reportedly contain nicotine concentrations far above the legal ceiling (up to 50 mg per pouch, roughly equivalent to about 50 cigarettes). Their discreet nature and potentially higher nicotine content have raised concern among public-health experts about faster addiction among youth.

Prior studies offered limited data on nicotine-pouch use among Canadian adolescents. In 2019, prevalence among those aged 16–19 was just 1%. Given international trends pointing to rapid uptake and trajectories resembling those of e-cigarettes, this study helps fill Canada’s data gap on adolescent use of nicotine pouches.

Main findings and conclusions

Methods

Based on the COMPASS platform, the team surveyed 13,914 students at 33 secondary schools across Quebec, yielding an analytic sample of 11,017. The questionnaire covered past-30-day use, perceptions of health and addiction risks, and associations with factors such as sex/gender, grade level, academic performance, and part-time work.

Key findings

Rising prevalence, nearly on par with cigarettes: Nicotine pouches are now the third most commonly used nicotine product after e-cigarettes (13.0%) and cigarettes (3.0%), with a current-use rate of 2.6%, nearly equal to cigarettes.

Higher-risk groups:

• Cisgender boys have a 74% higher likelihood of use than girls.

• Older students, male students, and gender-diverse youth show higher risk.

• Students with poor academic performance (any core subject below 55%) have nearly triple the risk.

• Students with part-time jobs face significantly elevated risk, and the risk increases with weekly hours worked.

• Youth who self-report poor physical or mental health are more likely to use.

Co-use of nicotine:

• 71.7% of nicotine-pouch users also vape.

• 27.9% also smoke cigarettes.

• Compared with non-users, current vapers are roughly 14 times more likely to use nicotine pouches, and current smokers about 5 times more likely.

Risk-perception differences:

• 81% of students believe nicotine pouches are addictive, while 16% are unsure.

• Only 41% believe nicotine pouches pose high health risks, and 23.5% say “not sure.”

• Compared with peers who view the products as high-risk, those who perceive them as low- or no-risk have 8–10 times higher odds of use.

Conclusion

The authors conclude that nicotine-pouch use among Canadian adolescents has risen rapidly and is concentrated in certain groups (e.g., boys, gender-diverse youth, students with poor grades, and those with part-time jobs). Given the discreet form factor and potentially higher nicotine content, and in the absence of effective controls, nicotine pouches could follow a trajectory of rapid uptake among youth similar to that of e-cigarettes. High-risk groups include boys, gender-diverse youth, students with part-time jobs, students with poor academic performance, and current users of e-cigarettes/cigarettes.

Article information

Title: Emerging use of oral nicotine pouches among Canadian adolescents: Findings from the COMPASS-Quebec study

Authors: Katelyn Battista; Mikael Piché-Ayotte; Slim Haddad; Anne-Marie Turcotte-Tremblay; Scott T. Leatherdale; Richard E. Bélanger

Publication date: August 2025

Journal: Canadian Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.17269/s41997-025-01100-x

Images in this article are drawn from the paper.

Cover image generated by ChatGPT.

Disclaimer

This article is a summary created by 2Firsts based on a published academic paper. Its purpose is to help non-specialist audiences—particularly industry professionals, policymakers, and the media—better understand research findings and foster deeper communication between science, policy, and industry.

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