Oh, look at that: Nicotine is popular again among Canadian adults, youth and celebs - National Post

Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams went viral for smoking a cigarette in Milan, Italy in January during Fashion Week. He later said he was trying to quit. Photo by Photo by Alena Zakirova/Getty ImagesArticle contentAfter decades of decline, nicotine consumption in Canada is on the rise. People are smoking fewer traditional cigarettes, but alternative products such as vapes, e-cigarettes and, most recently — and dramatically — nicotine pouches are taking hold.

Nicotine pouches are positioned as an aid for people trying to quit smoking. Tucked in between the lip or cheek and gums, nicotine pouches are more discreet than a vape, one of the factors thought to be driving their use. Given their newness, the long-term effects of pouches are unclear, but nicotine is known to be highly addictive.

“Research has indeed shown that nicotine pouches have grown among Canadians,” says Geoffrey Fong, a professor of psychology and public health sciences at the University of Waterloo, a senior investigator for the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and principal investigator at the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation Project.

Between 2022 and 2024, ITC Canada national surveys show that nicotine pouch use increased from 3.6 per cent to 5.3 per cent among Canadian adults (18+) who smoke or formerly smoked. Among youth ages 13 to 15, current nicotine-pouch use rose from 1.0 per cent in 2022 to 2.5 per cent in 2024, then levelled off in 2025.

Early ITC research has shown that when people start using a new nicotine product, they don’t substitute the old one completely, increasing the total amount of nicotine they use, says Fong. “So, it’s really a booming industry.”

The rise of nicotine pouches among young non-smokers has been swift, and the medical community and policy experts are concerned about the implications.

More than one-third (35 per cent) of Canadians aged 17 to 27 have tried nicotine pouches this year, up from eight per cent in 2022, according to data from the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit.

Public health experts attribute the growth of nicotine pouches to lifestyle marketing reminiscent of the tobacco advertising of the past — now banned in Canada — and social media, where influencers promote nicotine as a wellness hack.