Nicotine Pouches: Men vs Women

In the twenty-first century, there’s less social stigma than ever when it comes to people consuming products that don’t typically align with their gender. Everyone has the freedom to consume as many nicotine pouches as they choose from whichever brand takes their fancy (provided they meet the legal age) — man or woman.

But whether it’s US political commentator Tucker Carlson saying that ZYN is “not a brand for men” or brands like Kelly White emerging that explicitly cater to women, there’s no denying that gender enters the conversation. Ever been curious about how men and women differ in their pouch consumption habits? This article runs through what we know (and what we don’t).

Men vs Women What the Data Says

We’re not here to give empty speculations — let’s go straight to the data. How does nicotine pouch usage differ between men and women?

A report using data from between 2020 and 2021 in Great Britain found that men were four times more likely to use nicotine pouches than women.

It doesn’t seem like this trend is restricted to the UK, either. An analysis of young Australians (which surveyed an equal number of men and women) revealed that men were more likely to be aware of and to use nicotine pouches than their female counterparts.

Likewise, over in the US, reports have found that nicotine pouch users are more likely to be male.

That’s three continents with the same trend.

Having said that, these figures should be viewed with a dose of scepticism. The world of research moves slowly, while the nicotine pouch market is developing rapidly, so the available data may not reflect current trends. Still, here at Snusdirect, we do have more male customers.

The Counterargument

Interestingly, not all research suggests that men use nicotine pouches more than women.

The Professional Footballers' Association found that usage of nicotine pouches and snus was equally split between the genders:

• 18% of male players and 22% of female players currently used snus or nicotine pouches.
• 42% of men and 39% of women reported using snus or nicotine pouches in the past.

It also found that women were more likely to exhibit signs of nicotine dependence.

Could there be something unique about female and male footballers that distinguishes them from other men and women, or a difference between usage of nicotine pouches and snus (the report didn’t differentiate between the two)? The verdict is still out.

Patterns in Consumption

As well as differences in the number of nicotine pouches consumed by the two genders, there may be differences in how men and women consume pouches.

Some evidence suggests high-volume pouch users are more likely to be men, while low-volume pouch users are more likely to be women.

However, both genders are more likely to consume a moderate quantity than to lie on the extremes.

Unfortunately, there’s limited research here. Do women prefer spearmint pouches while men prefer peppermint? Are men more likely to be fans of VELO, while women prefer White Fox? Once again, it’s anyone’s guess.

What Does it All Mean?

If we take at face value that men use nicotine pouches more than women, the big question is: Why? Let’s look at some possibilities.

History of Nicotine and Tobacco

Historically, tobacco products like cigars and cigarettes have been more associated with men.

Almost no women used tobacco before the 1920s, while a huge number of men did. The social acceptance of female smokers grew in subsequent decades, and eventually started to level out — in 1998/99 in the UK, 28% of men and 26% of women were smokers.

Today, the ONS reports that around 14.6% of men and 11.2% of women smoke in the UK, and that these proportions have remained roughly consistent since 2011. But this history may be playing a role in impacting how people view newer nicotine products today.

Popular Culture

Over in the US, the association between nicotine pouches and men has become so strong that a new word has been termed for it — “mascuzynity.”

This phenomenon is largely due to popular culture figures who target men promoting nicotine pouches, such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

While Europe hasn’t seen anything quite like this, some may be influenced by what’s happening across the Atlantic on the internet. Could this be attracting some men and repelling some women?

Branding

Nicotine pouches aren’t quite on the level of Yorkie bars when it comes to marketing, explicitly excluding women from buying them.

But most brands favour minimalistic designs and colours like black and blue, which are commonly used when marketing to men. Meanwhile, styles and colours that typically market to women are less common.

However, some might argue that this shows nicotine pouch brands are being exclusive and not pandering to gender stereotypes.

Men vs Female Pouches

Despite most brands historically catering to men — or at least, not explicitly targeting women — this may now be changing.

The Kelly White brand is one of the first to explicitly cater to women. Its products have a touch of luxury and sophistication, with flavour profiles like Sparkling Strawberry, which fuses champagne and strawberries.

While Kelly White can designs are fairly minimalistic, the brand sells special nicotine pouch cans boasting the likes of rhinestones and leopard print for those who want to “jazz up” their pouch experience.

Although the brand is fairly new, if it turns out to have found a gap in the market, it could encourage others to take a similar female-centric approach.

Also, while Kelly White is alone in explicitly marketing to women, other brands may be trying to appeal to the female market in more subtle ways. On Snusdirect, we’ve seen an increase in can designs that are more stereotypically female. For instance, the floral design on XQS Elderflower and purple and pink hues in products like FIX Cherry Blossom.

The Gender Question

As with most things in the nicotine pouch world, this is a fast-evolving space. Will more brands emerge that cater to women? Do pouch-loving women prefer gender neutral brands over stereotypically feminine options? Is the pouch market really becoming more “mascuzyn” or are more women entering? We’ll let you know the answers as soon as we have them!