Poll Shows Britons Favor Regulation Over Bans on Nicotine Pouches

Key Points

• 44.5% of respondents believe nicotine pouches should be regulated, not banned.
• Only 9.9% oppose their legal sale altogether.
• Over 30% say stop-smoking services should recommend nicotine pouches as quitting aids.
• 55.9% support strength caps, echoing We Vape’s “20isPlenty” campaign (20mg limit).
• 45% describe government tobacco regulation as “weak.”
• Ireland recently banned disposable vapes and tightened restrictions on nicotine pouches.

2Firsts, November 25, 2025 — According to a survey conducted by Find Out Now, A large-scale poll of 1,038 UK adults, conducted by Find Out Now, shows that the British public overwhelmingly prefers regulation over prohibition when it comes to nicotine pouches. The poll suggests strong public backing for harm-reduction strategies and widespread disapproval of the government’s perceived failure to regulate effectively.

More than 44% of respondents agreed nicotine pouches should be regulated rather than banned, while fewer than 10% opposed their legal sale. Additionally, 30.4% said stop-smoking services should recommend nicotine pouches alongside vapes as quitting aids.

Some 55.9% of participants supported sensible nicotine strength limits for pouches — similar to current vape laws — aligning with We Vape’s “20isPlenty” campaign, which advocates a 20mg nicotine cap.

Despite these attitudes, only 7% of respondents rated the UK government’s regulatory approach as “strong,” while nearly half (45.3%) called it “weak” or “very weak.

The findings come as the Irish government enforces a ban on disposable vapes and imposes new restrictions on nicotine pouches, including limits on sales to minors, packaging, flavors, and displays.

Richard Crosby, UK Director of Considerate Pouchers, commented:

“Our poll shows a clear public preference for practical harm reduction measures, not arbitrary bans. Ireland’s approach will punish adult smokers using pouches to quit, pushing them back toward cigarettes instead of helping them stop.”

He added that countries like Sweden and the UAE had successfully implemented consumer-driven harm-reduction models, reducing smoking rates without blanket prohibitions.

We Vape founder Mark Oates warned that Ireland’s restrictive model would likely backfire:

“Unless Ireland rethinks its approach, it will face a thriving black market, stagnant smoking reduction, and worse public health outcomes. Harm reduction — not bans — is what saves lives and eases pressure on healthcare.”

Oates emphasized that We Vape’s “20isPlenty” framework would limit nicotine pouch strength to 20mg, providing a safe, effective quitting aid for smokers.

The UK’s own Tobacco and Vapes Bill will age-restrict nicotine pouches but has not set any strength limits, despite calls from MPs to do so.

Image source: TalkingRetail