Nicotine pouches are key to reducing oral disease, new report finds

STOCKHOLM – A major new report by international health experts reveals how safer nicotine alternatives could be the most effective new weapon in the fight against oral disease that afflicts almost 4 billion people worldwide.

The report by the Oral Nicotine Commission presents clinical, toxicological and population-level evidence demonstrating that oral nicotine pouches are a tobacco-free, combustion-free alternative to cigarettes that can both reduce oral disease and help smokers to quit their deadly habit.

Co-author Dr Delon Human says: “This report shows that oral nicotine pouches give smokers a pragmatic, evidence-based path away from combustion, thereby protecting mouths, saving lives and reducing the burden of oral disease.

“It’s up to policymakers worldwide to now take heed, prevent needless suffering and save millions of lives.”

The new report, Cigarettes to Smiles: The Dual Role of Oral Nicotine Pouches in Advancing Oral Health and Quitting Success, presents findings from the 2025 Cochrane systematic review, biomarker studies showing major reductions in carcinogen exposure, population data from countries such as Sweden and clinical research including the SMILE Study.

Together these sources show no evidence of serious health harms from switching to nicotine pouches while demonstrating measurable benefits for oral health and quitting success.

“For too long, people have been forced to choose between deadly cigarettes and no effective options,” says Dr Human, a former secretary-general of the World Medical Association.

“With 3.7 billion cases of oral disorders worldwide, nicotine pouches should be considered a vital component of 21st-century public-health strategies to reduce the global burden of oral disease and premature death.”

The introduction of nicotine pouches in Sweden in 2016 helped to turbocharge the decline in smoking, particularly among women.

Sweden’s progress towards smoke-free status – with smoking prevalence at around 5.3% and markedly lower cancer rates than the rest of Europe – is cited in the report as a compelling example of the public-health gains possible when smokers have access to lower-risk oral nicotine options.

“This report is a clarion call for policymakers to follow the science and make lower-risk options accessible to those who need them most,” Dr Human concludes.

-ends-