Updated 27/06/2024
Nicotine pouches have gained traction and popularity over the past few years. You may have heard about nicopods in one advertisement or another. A recent study published in the NCBI journal states that interest in nicotine pouches grew considerably in 2021.
But are nicopods really all that they are made to be? Do these pouches actually help people quit their addictions? You have all right to be skeptical because, before nicopods, even cigarettes were being branded as a beautiful treat. So, are nicopods like cigarettes, or are these different?
Benefits of Nicotine Pouches
We can divide the benefits of nicotine pouches into direct and indirect effects. Here are the benefits of ZYNs and other nicotine pouches:
- Nicopods are safer than cigarettes/snuff
- Nicopods can help smokers quit tobacco easily
- Nicopods can affect your mood
- They don't cause gum disease
- Easy to store and keep fresh
- Comes in multiple fun and tasty flavors
- Better for the environment than alternatives
- Subtle and discreet
4 Benefits of Nicotine Pouches as a Substitute
Nicotine pouches are often used as substitutes to more harmful tobacco-leaf and e-liquid products. We've labelled these benefits as āindirectā because they are applicable when you use nicotine pouches as a substitute. Here are 4 of these indirect benefits of ZYN and other nicotine pouches:
1. Reduced Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
Cigarettes contain more than 70 harmful chemicals that affect the soft tissues in your body. When you inhale cigarette smoke, it directly impacts your lungs and can even lead to lung cancer. The carcinogenic nature of cigs also influences your mouth.
Cigarettes can cause:
- Heart Disease
- Strokes
- Lung Disease
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Low Stamina
- Lack of Attention
By using nicotine pouches, you can stop smoking and save yourself from all of these atrocious effects of cigarettes.
2. No Passive or Second-Hand Smoke
When you smoke in an open area, you risk the health of the people around you. According to the CDC, people exposed to second-hand smoke have a 25 to 30% increased risk of stroke or heart disease.
Additionally, second-hand smoke is responsible for about, 34,000 premature infant deaths in the United States alone. By using nicopods, you save yourself and the people around you.
3. No Environmental Damage
According to the WHO, around 4.5 trillion cigarette buds pollute our environment annually. The unsustainable production of cigs leads to more pollution and negative environmental impacts. In contrast, more modern nicopods are made with eco-friendly materials.
Most nicotine packs from brands like VELO and ZYN come with a catch lid. You can store used nicotine bags in these lids and get rid of them later. In this way, you reduce unnecessary litter and pollution.
4. Improved Stamina and Exercise
Cigarettes have a dire effect on your stamina and ability to exercise. Your vital muscles get less oxygen and you get tired more easily. While the nicotine does affect your ability to work out, the lack of stamina drains you.
Nicotine pouches have the opposite effect. According to popular research, nicotine pouches have an incredibly stimulating effect. These pouches can help you exercise more easily and improve your efficiency.
4 Direct Benefits of Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine has various benefits that are often lost in the cacophony surrounding its harmful effects. When you strip away tobacco from nicotine, you're left with more benefits than cons. We'll look at these benefits in detail:
1. Improved Alertness
Nicotine is a stimulant and increases and energy, albeit momentarily. From personal experience, they are good when you need to use them to wake up or to improve your mood momentarily. When you use a nicotine pouch, the brain releases dopamine and adrenaline, which makes you feel more active.
2. More Variety and Flavors
Nicotine pouch brands like ZYN, VELO, and LOOP have multiple unique flavors that feel amazing. For example, the ZYNs have Coffee, Citrus, Apple, Mint, and more. These flavors give users an extra incentive to quit other harmful products.
Some flavors even enhance the nicotine experience. For example, the stinging coldness of mint can make 3 mg nicotine pouches feel much stronger.
3. Easy to Use and Versatile
Nicotine pouches are much more versatile compared to other products. Most nicotine pouches come in slim, standard, or mini dry formats. Each one is spitless, smokeless, and super easy to use.
For example, the slim pouches hardly make a bulge under your lip. You can use these pouches anywhere, which makes them a great alternative to cigarettes, snus, and vapes.
4. Personalized Products for Different Tolerances
Nicotine pouches have fixed levels per can, which prevents side effects and health risks like nicotine overdose. You can find nicotine pouches more easily according to your tolerance levels. Most users prefer ZYN 3 or 6 mg pouches to quit alternative products.
Benefits of Different Nicotine Pouches
Each nicotine pouch has its unique punch, perk, and benefit. Let's look at some of the most popular pouch brands and their benefits.
Unique Benefits of ZYN Nicotine Pouches
ZYN nicotine pouches are well-known for their consistent quality, including long-lasting flavor and nicotine release. ZYN pouches also offer spectacular flavors with unique products like Gold and Original, which most brands have yet to offer.
Unique Benefits of VELO Nicotine Pouches
VELO nicotine pouches are drier compared to ZYNs and other brands. These dry pouches offer a much long-lasting nicotine and flavor release, compared to moist pouches. VELO nicotine pouches are also tobacco-free pouches that contain zero nicotine.
Unique Benefits of LOOP Nicotine Pouches
LOOP nicotine pouches use a special technology called Instant Rush. These pouches release nicotine the moment you place these pouches between your upper gums and lip. These pouches are also well known for their unique flavorings, like JalapeƱo Lime.
Risks of Using Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine is an addictive substance, and excessive use of nicotine products can have adverse effects. Nicotine rewires your reward center and forces your brain to get accustomed to a new high level of dopamine and serotonin.
When you don't use a pouch, your endorphin levels slump to the default state. It is the main reason why nicotine withdrawal is associated with anxiety and depression. A nicotine addiction can also lead to a lack of focus, uneasiness, and sleep problems.
Alternative, some nicotine pouches contain a high nicotine concentration. Using a pouch with nicotine concentration that exceeds your tolerance could cause overdose.
Why Should You Use Nicotine Pouches to Quit Smoking?
You should use nicopods because the alternatives have questionable efficacy. Nicopods have proven to be the superior choice for smoking cessation, time, and time again. There are different types of flavored nicotine products with various nicotine levels.
People with varying needs can use these different products in Nicotine Replacement Therapies to slowly cut their nicotine intake. Other forms of nicotine and tobacco leaf products do not offer the same benefits.
Why Shouldn't You Use Vapes?
Vapes and e-liquids are new additions to the world of heated nicotine. They have gained considerable popularity because of their array of youth-friendly flavors. Vapes and e-liquids may not contain tobacco, but their smoke is almost as pernicious to your health as cigarettes.
Vapes are also more addictive than cigs, which means you'll just escape one hell to fall into another. Smoking or vaping should both be off the table if you want to live a healthier life.
Why Shouldn't You Use Smokeless Products?
Smokeless tobacco products or snus is a form of oral nicotine made with tobacco. According to various studies, snus can be a vital tool in smoking cessation. Snus is also safer than chewing tobacco and other combustible nicotine or tobacco products.
However, excessive tobacco use and poor oral hygiene may cause gum disease and bad breath. Also, tobacco doesn't sit well with all people. Some people have a hard time digesting the effects of tobacco. The flavor of tobacco isn't all that appealing, either.
Why Are Nicotine Pouches Great?
The first thing that makes nicopods attractive is their quality of flavors and diversity. The flavors and various levels of nicotine allow people to quit in a friendly and healthy way. It is one of the reasons why VELO and World of ZYN nicotine pouch dollar sales have risen in the US.
In 2020 alone, ZYN experienced a 400%+ increase in demand. Moreover, nicopods are easier to use. They don't have the lingering smell of cigarettes or the nauseating feeling of snus. But if nicopods are so good, why aren't they used much?
Misinformation Regarding Nicopods
The main reason for the lack of respect for nicopods is misinformation and little awareness. For example, the Food and Drug Administration doesn't know how to categorize nicopods. They can't regulate them as tobacco products, and they can't ban them altogether.
According to a Rutgers survey, almost 80% of physicians believed that nicopods caused cancer. However, leading medical researchers have proved this notion to be false. Only tobacco products and combustible tobacco can cause cancer.
Most countries in the EU have banned nicopods because they don't know what to do with them. Nicopods are technically categorized as smokeless tobacco, even though they contain only tobacco-free nicotine. The same confusion afflicts consumers.
Conclusion: Benefits of Nicotine Pouches
Overall, nicotine pouches have multiple benefits, including freedom from tobacco, diverse flavors, and various nicotine levels. These pouches are also much easier to use compared to cigarettes, vapes, and other forms of nicotine.
While nicotine pouches have various benefits, you should use them according to your tolerance levels. For example, beginners should stick close to nicopods with 2 to 4 mg of nicotine per pouch. Veterans who've been using snus/cigs for decades can use as much nicotine as they want.