Nicotine pouch

Nicotine pouches are white pre-portioned pouches containing either tobacco derived nicotine or synthetic nicotine, but no tobacco leaf, dust, or stem, and are described as either similar to or a tobacco-free version of snus. But the difference between snus and nicotine pouches is about more than the simple presence or lack thereof of tobacco – nicotine pouches are also more long lasting and have a longer shelf-life than traditional snus. No combustion is involved. The user puts a pouch between the upper lip and gum, and leaves it there while the nicotine and taste is being released. When finished, the pouch is disposed of in household trash. Many brands have a storage area in the top case (a ‘catch lid’) where used pouches can be kept if no trash can is readily available. The small pouches are not like chewing tobacco, as the user does not need to spit, since the contents of the pouches stay inside the pouches during use.
There is no independent testing of their constituents, exposure or biomarkers of effects. Research analyzing their nicotine delivery is unavailable. The pouches are sold in an array of flavors. In 2019, five big tobacco companies offered nicotine pouch products.
Usage.
The history behind nicotine pouches is not a very long one, unlike its ancestor – Swedish snus. But the two do share many similarities, which is perhaps why pouches became popular almost immediately upon their first release back in 2018. Many of Sweden’s leading snus manufacturers, such as Swedish Match, Skruf and AG Snus created their nicotine pouch brands (ZYN, Shiro, Swave etc) as a direct response to demand for a nicotine option with less conspicuous usage.
No studies are available to determine if smokers would switch to nicotine pouches or if they would continue to smoke and use nicotine pouches, resulting in dual use. Nicotine pouches typically cost about as much as a pack of regular cigarettes. Unlike vaping products, they require no batteries and no accessory device.
Nicotine pouches may entice youth as well as young adult never-smokers because they are available in an array of fruit flavors and may be used unobtrusively.
In Norwegian pharmacies, nicotine pouches are also sold as a delivery mechanism for nicotine replacement therapy, approved by the Norwegian Medicines Agency for smoking cessation and sold under the brand Zonnic.
Contents.
Nicotine pouches often contains food grade fillers, water, salt, flavorings and nicotine. The nicotine content among nicotine pouch brands differ per pouch. Nicotine pouches are sold in an array of fruit flavors such as black cherry and citrus. Other flavors include peppermint and coffee.
Research.
Although nicotine pouches have the possibility of being a reduced risk product, there is no independent testing of their constituents, exposure or biomarkers of effects. Research analyzing their nicotine delivery is unavailable. The pouches contain the addictive chemical nicotine.
Opposition.
Advocacy groups opposed to the introduction of nicotine pouches in Kenya have protested that they may raise the risk of cancer, heart disease, and reproductive or developmental harms. The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance alleged that given the higher levels of some toxic chemicals, and what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said was a lack of medical data showing the pouches are safer than cigarettes (as claimed by manufacturer British American Tobacco), the government should not license the product.
Brands.
LOOP is owned by the independent Another Snus Factory from Stockholm, Sweden and is sold in Scandinavia, Germany, UK and other EU markets. The pouches are available in a variety of strengths and flavours.
Epok is owned by British American Tobacco, and was largely discontinued but is still sold in Norway and Switzerland. Epok contains tobacco filler, but was replaced by Lyft, which contains no tobacco. 
Lyft is owned by British American Tobacco and it is sold in the UK, Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden. The nicotine content for Lyft is 4 and 6 mg. In 2019, British American Tobacco started selling nicotine pouches in Kenya.
Nordic Spirit is owned by Japan Tobacco International and it is sold in Switzerland and Sweden and the UK, where a bus shelter advertising campaign has begun in August 2020. The Nordic Spirit pouches contain plant-based fibers, nicotine, additives, and flavorings and are intended to be put beneath the upper or lower lip and are absorbed through the gums.
Altria purchased 80% of the On! nicotine pouch company. It is sold in Sweden, Japan and the US.
RUSH white pouches is owned by Alternative Nicotine Technologies and is Licensed to Crown Distributing. RUSH pouches contain TFN(R) totally tobacco-free synthetic nicotine and is not made or derived from tobacco. TFN is made by Next Generation Labs LLC.
2ONE (Twenty One) is owned by 2ONE Labs and is made using TFN synthetic nicotine. The product is sold in the USA.
Velo is owned by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company and it is sold in the US. The nicotine strength for Velo is 2, 4 and 7mg but as with all nicotine pouches, the actual sensation of strength is affected an equal amount by which flavors are used. Velo states that the contents in their products consist of nicotine obtained from the tobacco plant, microcrystalline cellulose, water, salt, sucralose, citric acid, and artificial flavor. Velo bought the brand Dryft in 2021. All flavors and nicotine levels were kept, and the product was rebranded as Velo Max.
ZoneX is owned by Imperial Tobacco and it is sold in the UK.
ZYN is owned by Swedish Match and it is sold in Europe and the US. Zyn states that the contents in their products consist of pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt, hydroxypropyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, maltitol, gum arabic, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, acesulfame K, and food-grade flavorings.
Killapods is a Lithuanian brand sold in the EU.
PAZ is owned by Dholakia Tobacco Pvt. Ltd. and it is sold in EU, Dholakia Tobacco is a pioneer of modern oral pouches in India.
Nordic Noir Concepts Ltd is the brand owner of YOYO. YOYO is a nicotine pouch brand sold within EU, South America, Middle East and Northern Africa. 
Classification.
It is assumed they are classified as tobacco products in the US because they contain nicotine obtained from tobacco. It is not clear how they are classified in other countries.
Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were for sale in Norway from 2014 to 2018, under the name Epok.In June 2018 the Norwegian Directorate of Health forced British American Tobacco Norway to remove Epok from sale or face daily fines of 150 000 NOK, due to reasons which were described as "ridiculous" by Norwegian press and politicians. The Norwegian Directorate of Health argued that since Epok didn't contain any tobacco it was a new form of nicotine product, distinct from the other forms of snus approved in Norway. New forms of nicotine products are extremely unlikely to get approved, the nicotine pouch brand ZYN had already been rejected approval twice for an extremely similar product.
Within days of the ban Epok was re-introduced to the Norwegian market, with a minute amount of bleached tobacco added, to qualify as an already approved form of nicotine product. Because tobacco-free nicotine pouches were not banned there, the Epok brand was discontinued in Sweden and replaced by Lyft, an otherwise identical product that contains pine and eucalyptus fibers instead of tobacco filler. As of February 2020, Epok is still sold by Norwegian and Swiss grocery stores.
In Canada, nicotine is considered a prescription drug, therefore personal imports of nicotine are prohibited. Exceptions do exist for those being of these criteria: a health practitioner or medical practitioner, a drug manufacturer, a wholesale druggist, a pharmacist, or a resident of a foreign country while a visitor in Canada.