The Origins Of The Nicotine Pouch

Nathan Chilcott

History Lessons

Millions of people like you now use nicotine pouches daily without a thought regarding the story behind nicotine pouch origins. It’s understandable, life is hectic and most of us don’t have time to look back.

However, occasionally it’s worthwhile as it can help you see where you are going.

Using Tobacco

Nicotine pouches are here and growing in popularity. The only reason for their development was the tightening of cigarette regulations. Many countries have introduced smoking bans, increased taxes on cigarettes, and generally made it very expensive to smoke.

To understand why nicotine pouches were created we need to look at the history of tobacco.

It’s believed tobacco was first used approximately 12,300 years ago. The plant grew in South America and locals used to simply roll its leaves and smoke them.

Shortly after it was discovered, smoking tobacco became popular in Europe.

By the mid-16th century, chewing tobacco was a common sight. It was believed it could combat fatigue and even cure a variety of health issues.

Unsurprisingly, these types of claims increased its popularity and helped boost tobacco trade and use around the globe.

How Snus Came Into Being

Cigarettes tend to emit a lot of smoke and it relies on one hand being free during the process. Worst, smoking tobacco had become so popular that it no longer felt like something prestigious enough for the aristocracy.

To combat this, aristocrats started to sniff tobacco up their noses. The tobacco was dried and finely ground.

Things stayed this way until after the French Revolution when snuff became used by all classes of people.

The result, in the early 1800s was that people started to use moist tobacco instead. They would chew it and spit it out, allowing them to get the desired nicotine.

"Interestingly, this is when flavours were first added. It was common to find berry flavours and flowers added to the tobacco.”

The wet chewing tobacco was known as snus and continued as simply a chewing tobacco until the beginning of the 21st century.

Who Turned Snus Into Nicotine Pouches?

The nicotine pouch concept was first introduced by a company called Niconovum. It took them several years to find a suitable material that would hold the nicotine and allow it to be released slowly into the body.

The first pouch they produced was known as Zonnic and was listed as a medicinal nicotine replacement.

It was British American Tobacco, looking for a way to attract new customers, who saw what Niconovum had developed and purchased the company.

They then marketed and released the nicotine pouch as it is known today. The tobacco free option that all the major nicotine pouch brands make today

Summing Up

Nicotine pouch history is complex. In effect, pouches have been born out of a need to maintain sales while cigarette sales are in decline.

The fact that they are smokeless and potentially offer health benefits over cigarettes has helped to ensure that nicotine pouches are here to stay.

• Disclaimer

We make every effort to ensure the information published on our website is accurate and up-to-date. Our blog is provided for information only. It is not intended as medical advice.