Nicotine pouches are small rectangles that are about the size of a piece of Chiclet® gum. They contain nicotine that is either synthetic or derived from tobacco and, as mentioned above, come in a variety of flavors. They are often sold in tins of 15 to 20 pouches and come in varying strengths. One brand, for example, sells tins in either 3 or 6 milligrams of nicotine per pouch; another brand sells pouches with 13 milligrams of nicotine per pouch.
“They are small, skinny, flavored little pouches,” Morean explains. “You put them in your mouth, most commonly tucked between your gum and upper or bottom lip. Then, you leave it sitting for a while, so that the nicotine can be absorbed through the inner lining of your cheek and into your bloodstream. Some nicotine can also get into your system by swallowing the juice. When you are done, you take it out and throw it in the trash.”
How long someone keeps a pouch in their mouth can vary. “Some sites tell people to leave it in their mouths for 15 minutes or up to a half hour or 45 minutes, but there isn’t an instruction manual for them,” Morean says.
Pouches have similarities to nicotine gum, such as Nicorette®, which is used to help people quit smoking, Morean says. “Nicorette is similar in that it contains 2 to 4 milligrams of nicotine, and you let it sit in your mouth,” she says. “But there are two key differences. The first is that people say Nicorette doesn’t taste very good, which makes sense as you wouldn’t want to make it in ultra-appealing flavors to attract kids. But nicotine pouches are available in different, appealing flavors. The second is that Nicorette is an FDA-approved smoking cessation tool, whereas pouches are not.”