New research suggests that some nicotine pouch flavors may be more addictive than others, potentially influencing how often people use these products.
A study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research found that sweet and cinnamon flavors affect nicotine preferences differently in males and females.
Nicotine pouches have become very popular in recent years, especially among young people.
Unlike cigarettes, they don’t require smoking, which makes them seem less harmful or less addictive to some users.
Sales of nicotine pouches in the U.S. rose by over 600% between 2019 and 2022, partly due to their wide range of flavors. However, little is known about how these flavors affect nicotine use and addiction.
To better understand the impact of flavors, researchers from Yale School of Medicine studied how different flavors influence nicotine preference—but instead of testing on humans, they experimented with rats.
Researchers provided male and female rats with different water solutions containing nicotine combined with either sweeteners (sucrose and saccharin) or cinnamon flavor (cinnamaldehyde, the main compound in cinnamon).
They then observed which solutions the rats preferred, helping to determine whether certain flavors made nicotine more appealing.
What the study found
- Both male and female rats preferred sweetened nicotine solutions over unsweetened ones.
- Female rats preferred nicotine the most when mixed with sweeteners like sucrose or saccharin.
- Male rats preferred nicotine when combined with cinnamon flavor.
- Saccharin (a calorie-free sweetener) significantly increased nicotine preference in female rats but not in males.
These results suggest that sweet flavors play a bigger role in nicotine addiction for females, while flavored additives like cinnamon influence males more.
Flavors have a strong influence on nicotine use, especially among young people. While flavors don’t change how nicotine is absorbed in the body, they make it more enjoyable to use, increasing the chances that people will continue using nicotine products.
The study highlights the importance of understanding how flavors impact addiction, especially as nicotine pouches continue to grow in popularity.
The researchers believe these findings could help shape policies and harm-reduction strategies for nicotine products. Understanding which flavors increase addiction risk may lead to better regulations to protect young users from becoming dependent on nicotine.
As lead researcher Deniz Bagdas explains:
“Female rats preferred nicotine with sweeteners, while males preferred nicotine with cinnamon. Understanding how flavors affect nicotine addiction can help inform public health policies.”
With more research, health experts and policymakers can work toward reducing the risks of nicotine addiction, particularly for young people who may be drawn to flavored products.
