Wellness influencers are promoting nicotine pouches as a way to boost alertness and focus. Political commentator Tucker Carlson has even launched his own product line.

Marketing efforts and influencer promotion are driving a sharp rise in nicotine pouch use. Data from the CDC Foundation showed that sales of nicotine pouches increased 207% between June 2023 and April 2025.

But what influencers often omit is that nicotine is highly addictive and may harm your health, particularly your heart.

What Are Nicotine Pouches? Are They Regulated?

Nicotine pouches have been sold in the United States since 2016 as an alternative to tobacco products. Users place the pouch between the gum and upper lip, where saliva moistens it and releases nicotine. The nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth into the bloodstream.

Unlike nicotine lozenges, which are approved for smoking cessation, nicotine pouches are not. While lozenges are designed to taste unpleasant, nicotine pouches are often flavored with mint, coffee, cinnamon, or fruit.

In 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of Zyn nicotine pouches, made by a subsidiary of Philip Morris. However, the agency did not approve Zyn as a smoking cessation aid. Earlier this year, the FDA held a public meeting to discuss the use of Zyn for smoking cessation, though no decision has been announced. 

In many cases, influencers are promoting nicotine products that are illegal in the U.S., according to Jennifer Folkenroth, ALA’s senior director of Nationwide Health Promotions.

“As of April 2026, the FDA has authorized a total of 26 nicotine pouch products to be marketed and sold in the U.S. All other nicotine pouch products have not received authorization and are on the market illegally,” Folkenroth told Verywell.

Is Nicotine Harmful on Its Own?

Some claim that nicotine itself isn’t harmful, but that it only got a bad reputation because of tobacco and other additives in cigarettes.

“Nicotine alone is a cardiovascular toxin that causes significant health problems regardless of the delivery method, including vapes, pouches, and patches,” Folkenroth said. “It activates the sympathetic nervous system, increases blood pressure and heart rate, causes endothelial dysfunction, and accelerates atherosclerosis.”

There’s more: nicotine can suppress appetite through central nervous system stimulation and increased fat breakdown. Folkenroth said that it raises the resting metabolic rate, which can encourage higher calorie burning. This might lead to weight loss initially, but nicotine can induce chronic changes such as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and fatty acid accumulation, which often result in increased belly fat.

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Why Nicotine Is Making a Comeback

Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical found in the tobacco plant and is considered the most addictive component in tobacco products. It releases dopamine, one of the brain’s “feel-good” hormones that can temporarily improve focus and alertness.

Movements like “Make America Healthy Again” have “successfully tapped into a few different threads that are pervasive in American culture right now: the idea that natural is better, that the capital ‘S’ Scientific establishment has misled them, and an overall frustration with what they see as a decline in American health,” said Jess Steier, DrPH, executive director at the Center for Unbiased Science & Health.

Steier added that these ideas helped reframe nicotine as a “natural” substance that can be used to “biohack” health.

However, for people who use nicotine in any form, including pouches, the effects often lead to physical dependence and the need for increasing doses.

 “Nicotine pouches release high doses of nicotine into the body, which can lead to people rapidly becoming addicted to these products,” said David Hill, MD, chairman of the board of the American Lung Association (ALA). These products can lead to mouth irritation, acute toxicity, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and dizziness, he added.

Oral nicotine products are associated with higher rates of death in people who have coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease, Hill said. They may also be linked to an increased risk of cavities and precancerous oral lesions. 

Youth Use and Poisoning Risks Raise Concern

Nicotine pouch use may increase the likelihood of transitioning to other tobacco products, said Jennifer Cofer, DrPH, executive director of the EndTobacco program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Because nicotine is highly addictive, teens who are using the pouches now may continue to do so into adulthood, she added.

Nicotine use among people under 26 is particularly concerning. The brain continues developing until about that age, and nicotine exposure can disrupt that process, Cofer said.

Accidental exposure is another growing issue. The FDA has reported a rise in nicotine poisonings among children, who may be drawn to the colorful packaging that can resemble candy. From Apr. 1, 2022, to Mar. 31, 2025, nicotine pouch exposure cases reported to U.S. poison centers steadily increased, with about 72% involving children under age 5. Nicotine in these products can pose serious risks to young children, including confusion, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Federal regulators emphasize that marketing authorization does not mean these products are safe. In its press release allowing the marketing of Zyn last year, the FDA said: “There is no safe tobacco product; youth should not use tobacco products, and adults who do not use tobacco products should not start.”