According to the 2025 Student Health and Risk Prevention survey, there was a 300% increase in Utah youth who used nicotine pouches to try tobacco for the first time. That’s an increase from 1.6% in 2023 to 3.4% in 2025.
Summit County Health Department health educator Matt Wolbach said the increase may be because there are more state regulations related to vaping.
“Most flavored vapes are not legally sold in the state of Utah; the only ones that are legally allowed to be purchased are tobacco and menthol-flavored vapes,” he said.
He said the nicotine pouches, which can contain flavorings as well as nicotine powder, are also more accessible for youth than vapes.
In Summit County, there was an almost 122% increase in student lifetime use of the addictive smokeless tobacco products, increasing from 3.7% in 2023 to 8.2% of students in 2025.
And while the percentage of use isn’t as high as vaping, alcohol or marijuana — in fact, youth substance abuse is decreasing statewide — health leaders say nicotine pouches are something to be aware of.
Wolbach said the biggest concern is addiction. Nicotine causes much more dopamine than normal to be released, which affects youth brain development and causes addiction.
“Some youth initially, they kind of start taking it to try to help manage stress and anxiety, but we see really quickly that backfires, and it turns into another stressor,” Wolbach said.
Wolbach said there is also evidence the pouches cause gum recession and other damage to the mouth, though there isn’t much long-term data on the products.
Packaging on the pouches can also be tricky.
“The biggest thing with nicotine pouches is they're marketed usually as tobacco-free,” Wolbach said. “So that has the view that it could be less harmful, but we're still seeing the harm from it, and it's still synthetic nicotine being used.”
Wolbach said the county works with local schools and district leaders to educate students on the risks of nicotine pouch use. That includes giving classroom presentations and resources for students caught with nicotine products on campus.
However, Wolbach said the best way to prevent any substance use is for parents to talk to their kids and set expectations at about 9 years old.
