Nicotine Pouches in the US Market
Tobacco products have existing around the globe for centuries. In the US during the 1800s, chewing tobacco was a very popular method of consumption. Cigarettes and cigars are obvious other examples.
More recently large number of nicotine consumers are leaving dip and chew products behind, as more alternatives come available – alternatives that are smoke, spit and tobacco-free.
Nicotine pouches (sometimes called nicopods, nico pouch, or tobacco-free Snus) have become one of the leading ways that smokeless users are getting their kick.
You might be thinking to yourself, ‘how are these products different from each other and why are they becoming so popular?’. Let’s find out more:
Nicotine Pouches vs Dip and Chew - How Are They Different?
Dip and chew have been used in the US for a long time, they are traditional US tobacco products.
Tobacco dip - is placed in the lower lip for the nicotine and flavour to be released.
Chewing tobacco - requires the user to chew on it to get a buzz.
Nicotine pouches (also called nicopods) are actually a variation of SNUS, which is a Swedish tobacco product that has also been around for centuries. Small, tea-bad like pouches that are placed under the lip, and the nicotine gets released in through the gums. Snus is small tea-bag like pouches that contain tobacco, whereas Nicotine Pouches don’t contain tobacco, instead they contain plant fibres, cellulose, infused with nicotine and flavours. They are therefore not subject to many of the stringent tobacco laws.
Below are the three main differences between nicopods, and dip and chew:
Nicotine pouches do not require spitting - Dip and chew can cause excessive salivation and thus the need to spit. Nicotine pouches are spitless. The products are much dryer and are normally used in the upper lip which is above the saliva glands. Gravity therefore stops the pouches from getting too wet of mixing in with your saliva. Nicotine pouch users can therefore enjoy a mess and hassle-free experience and do not need to carry a mudjug or spittoon, and is much more sociable in the pub of restaurant.
Nicotine pouches are more discreet - Dip and chew users are easily identified by their distinct bulging bottom lips, tobacco debris on the teeth and constant spitting. They also often have quite brown and stained teeth. However, if you try to spot a nicotine pouch user, you will have a tough time. These products come in slim or mini formats, which get easily hidden under the lip for no one else to see, making them the most discreet option.
Nicotine pouches come in more flavours – Nicotine pouches are filled with plant fibres and cellulose, which doesn’t really have any taste. Therefore, they are a blank canvass for adding a whole variety of different flavours, from mint and menthol, fruit flavours, Citrus, coffee, hemp flavours, even energy drink flavour! Dip and chew users cannot enjoy this as much variety as those who opt for pods. Dip and chew contain tobacco, so they always taste like it, regardless of any additional flavourings added.
Nicotine Pouch users have better oral cleanliness - Nicotine pouches are often described as all white, simply because they are white in colour, as they contain cellulose instead of tobacco. They don’t stain teeth and they don’t cause bad breath, quite the opposite in fact, and because the material is contained within a paper pouch, the filling does not spread to the teeth and gums and lips like Dip and Chew.
Nicotine Pouches deliver nicotine in a controlled and consistent way - Most nicotine pouches will slowly deliver nicotine and flavour for up to 30 – 40 minutes. Sure, you will get more of a nicotine hit for the first 5 minutes, but they still release nicotine slowly for long after this. The flavours also lasts for a very long time. Traditional non-smoking products like Dip and Chew on the other hand, release flavour and nicotine immediately due to high moisture and the lack of a material barrier. They therefore last for a much shorter time.
To summarise - Tobacco is a seemingly dying trend, and year on year, the number of new brands and products released reduces as many dippers and chewers switch to pods for a longer-lasting buzz and taste experience that provides a better bang for their buck. Unlike dip and chew, the development of nicotine pouch products continues to grow, and with no sign of slowing down.
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