Four out of five young people want to quit nicotine pouches
Although small and discreet nicotine pouches with high nicotine content have become a widespread habit among young people, the vast majority want to quit – and more than half have already tried. That’s the conclusion of the §RØG survey conducted by the National Institute of Public Health.
In total, 80 percent of young people who use nicotine pouches daily say they want to stop. This is one of the key findings from the §RØG survey, which is based on responses from over 10,000 young people aged 15 to 29.
The survey also shows that more than half (54 percent) of young daily users have attempted to quit within the past year.
According to senior researcher Lotus Sofie Bast, who works with tobacco and nicotine prevention at the National Institute of Public Health, the figures send a clear signal:
"These high numbers – both those who want to quit and those who have already tried – tell me that we are looking at a very large group of young people who feel addicted to nicotine and who want to break free. But for many, it’s difficult to overcome the addiction because nicotine is highly addictive."
The survey also indicates that nicotine pouches are the product young people feel most addicted to – even more than cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
"Many young people start using nicotine pouches without knowing what the pouches actually contain and how addictive they are. It’s only when the addiction sets in they begin to realize the consequences, and then it’s too late. They feel trapped, and getting out is hard," says Lotus Sofie Bast.
An invisible addiction
Part of the explanation, according to Lotus Sofie Bast, lies in the very nature of nicotine pouches: they’re easy to conceal. Ulike cigarettes, which produce smoke and odor, nicotine pouches can be used almost anywhere – also at family gatherings, in the shower, or even during sleep.
"It’s a boundless form of consumption. You can use a nicotine pouch almost without anyone noticing. That creates constant accessibility, which makes it much harder to stop," explains Lotus Sofie Bast, comparing it to mobile phones – always within reach and something people instinctively reach for throughout the day.
She points out that this places special demands on how we support young people in quitting:
"This calls for even more comprehensive initiatives than those used for cigarette smoking. Because the availability is so constant and the addiction so strong, there may be a need for even more support during a quit attempt."
Few seek help
Although there are now several quit-smoking services – such as Stoplinjen’s BREAK-UP program and the Danish Cancer Society’s app Kvit, both aimed at young people – the §RØG survey shows that very few actually use these when trying to quit nicotine pouches.
Among those who have attempted to stop, three out of four did so without any kind of support. About 10 percent received help from friends or family, while fewer than 1 percent used nicotine patches or gum. Four percent used a quit-smoking app.
"We know that the chances of successfully quitting nicotine are higher if you get support. But far too few receive the help they need. They don’t reach out – perhaps because they don’t know where to turn, or because they assume that services like Stoplinjen are only for cigarette smokers or ‘real adults’," says Lotus Sofie Bast.
She believes there is great potential in raising awareness among young people about the support options that already exist:
"There are real services out there that can help young people so they don’t have to go through quitting nicotine on their own. So we have a task ahead of us: to guide many more young people into quit programs that can help them become nicotine-free."
Facts about the §RØG survey
The §RØG survey monitors the development of tobacco and nicotine use among children and young people in Denmark from 2020 to 2025. It was launched following a political agreement in December 2019, when the Danish government and a broad majority in parliament introduced a national action plan against smoking among children and youth.
The current report is the sixth in the series of §RØG surveys. Data was collected in the autumn of 2024, after many of the new regulations had already taken effect.
The survey is conducted in collaboration with the Danish Cancer Society, the Danish Heart Foundation, and the Danish Lung Association, and is funded by the Tryg Foundation.
Contact:
Senior Researcher Lotus Sofie Bast
Email: loni@sdu.dk
Phone: +45 2855 8008
National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark