Oral nicotine pouches are a game-changer for women in Sweden’s smoke-free success

First-of-its-kind study reveals female-friendly pouches have revolutionised how to wipe out cigarettes 

Ground-breaking new research shows that oral nicotine pouches are the breakthrough innovation helping to accelerate Sweden’s journey towards becoming the world’s first ‘smoke-free’ nation – and have finally put women at the heart of this transformation.

The comprehensive report Power in a Pouch, which has been unveiled on 17 June 2025, reveals for the first time that nicotine pouches have been a key catalyst behind Sweden’s extraordinary public health achievement – and have played a decisive role in how women are quitting smoking faster and more successfully than ever before.

The analysis by international health experts shows that, since their introduction in Sweden in 2016, smoke-free, tobacco-free nicotine pouches have:

• Helped to supercharge the decline in smoking rates for both genders, with an almost 200% rise in the quit rate among women.
• Outperformed all other quit aids, with both men and women ranking nicotine pouches as the most effective method. Women ranked pouches almost three times higher than vapes and 56% higher than nicotine gum.*
• Been identified by the research as the preferred quit aid for all ex-smokers due to their socially considerate, clean and stigma-free format.
• Driven a 49% drop in smoking among women, who for decades had lagged behind men in their smoke-free progress.

“The Swedish evidence is crystal clear: nicotine pouches are the most effective tool to help smokers – and especially women – to quit cigarettes,” said report co-author Dr. Marewa Glover, a behavioural scientist from New Zealand.

“Analysis of health data, national surveys and women’s testimonials show nicotine pouches are the safest, most socially acceptable and environmentally friendly alternative to cigarettes that fits today’s lifestyles. They are pragmatic, effective and offer the brightest hope for a smoke-free world.”

Sweden’s approach to safer alternatives contrasts sharply with many countries. Instead of prohibition, it has embraced harm reduction, recognising that smoke-free nicotine products are significantly less harmful than cigarettes.

Sweden’s smoking rate is now 5.3%, just above the 5% international ‘smoke-free’ threshold. Male lung cancer deaths are 61% below the EU average, with total cancer deaths 34% lower.

Dr. Delon Human, another co-author of the report, warned that excessive restrictions on nicotine pouches across Europe could sabotage these public health gains – particularly for women.

“Misguided bans and barriers are blocking access to these life-saving products,” said Dr. Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden and former Secretary-General of the World Medical Association.

“That’s not just bad policy – it’s a public health catastrophe. They’re denying millions of smokers – particularly women – the quit aid that works best.”

Dr. Glover added: “When women have access to clean, stigma-free alternatives, quit rates soar. Without them, we condemn another generation to smoking-related death.

“Policymakers must drop their prohibitionist mindset and follow Sweden’s evidence-based lead – or allow preventable deaths to continue on a massive scale.”

* Other key statistics from the report: 

• 60% of female and 55% of male pouch users identified the variety of flavours as either their top or second most important reason for choosing nicotine pouches over tobacco snus.
  
• 47% of male and 46% of female users cited the complete absence of tobacco in pouches as the key reason.
• The largest number of female (26%) and male (23%) respondents cited “the smell or flavour of tobacco” as snus’s biggest ‘turn-off’, indicating that smokers seek alternatives that do not resemble the product they are trying to quit.
• 34% of women said that, if legal restrictions meant their preferred nicotine pouches were no longer available in Sweden, they would seek them elsewhere.
• 30% of men said that, if legal restrictions meant their preferred nicotine pouches were no longer available in Sweden, they would be primarily concerned with the impact on their mental health.
• 73% of all respondents agreed that: “Women deserve access to the best approach to quitting smoking that reflects their unique needs, and nicotine pouches can be an important part of that approach.”
• 69% of all respondents, including 78% of women, agreed that: “Nicotine pouches could well be the final missing piece of the puzzle in eliminating smoking in Sweden, and especially so for women.”