Viral “Zynfluencer” TikTok videos may be linked to growing oral nicotine pouch sales

Oral nicotine pouches from brands such as Zyn, On!, and Velo are one of the fastest growing tobacco or nicotine products in the United States, generating surging sales and gaining a foothold in mainstream culture. Viral videos on TikTok and engagement with unpaid “Zynfluencers” may play a role in the increased market growth of these products, according to new research from Truth Initiative.

The study, published in Tobacco Control, found a reciprocal relationship between sales of oral nicotine pouches and relevant content on TikTok, a platform used by 68% of teens in the United States. 

The prevalence of pouch-related content on TikTok not only spreads the message that pouches are cool and harmless, but also shows their evolution from a niche, largely unknown product into a relevant trend in popular culture. This shift echoes the pattern observed a decade ago with JUUL, when youth-targeted marketing and culture led to a boom in youth e-cigarette use.

The study authors caution that pouch-related content on youth-centric social media platforms could lead to increased uptake among youth, recommending increased enforcement of regulations across social media to protect young people.

Spike in pouch-related TikTok content followed by sales boom

Researchers from Truth Initiative analyzed retail sales data alongside TikTok videos containing pouch-related hashtags from January 2021 to October 2023. Of more than 10,000 pouch-related videos, 2,939 videos were still posted at the end of the study period with a shared total of more than 71 million views – however the authors note that this is an extreme underestimate of the prevalence of this content.

According to the analysis, the oral nicotine pouch market grew at a steady rate for 2.5 years. Then, a viral spike in pouch content on TikTok was followed by a significant acceleration in the market growth rate – showing a sales increase of more than 12 million, rising to over 20 million in the next month. This accelerated growth rate maintained through the end of the study period while the amount of pouch content on TikTok continued to rise.

The prevalence of pouch-related videos on TikTok could be a cause and/or an indicator of market growth, both documenting and reinforcing the normalization of nicotine pouch use. While the researchers cannot rule out other factors in the sudden increase in sales, the results are suggestive of a reciprocal relationship between social media virality and a growing oral nicotine pouch market.

Viral pouch-related content could lead to youth uptake

Although only 1.8% of middle and high school students reported current use of nicotine pouches in 2024, pouch-related content on youth-centric social media platforms could lead to increased use among young people, following a path similar to that of e-cigarettes. Youth vaping prevalence was less than 2% in 2011 and skyrocketed to over 20% in 2018, in part due to JUUL’s youth-appealing marketing and influencer engagement campaign.

To combat the normalization of nicotine pouch use on social media, the study authors recommend increased enforcement of restrictions on social media platforms. Most social media platforms impose few restrictions on tobacco content and enforcement is minimal, despite the fact that exposure to tobacco content on social media doubles the odds of tobacco use among young people compared to those who are not exposed.