As global evidence continues to mount around the dangers of combustible tobacco, several countries are increasingly turning their attention to nicotine pouches as a safer, smoke-free alternative for adult smokers. Unlike cigarettes, nicotine pouches contain no tobacco and do not require burning, a distinction that public-health experts emphasize as the primary reason they carry significantly lower risk. This shift is reflected in the real-world outcomes seen across different markets, signalling a broader reconsideration of how non-combustible products can reduce the burden of smoking-related disease.
This evidence-based approach is clearly demonstrated in Sweden, which remains the strongest example and is frequently cited by researchers and policymakers for its near–smoke-free achievement. With the national smoking rate reduced to around 5%, Sweden’s success is widely attributed to the long-standing availability of alternative oral nicotine products, including modern nicotine pouches. Public-health data shows lower rates of smoking-related illnesses compared to the European average, reinforcing the argument that providing safer options leads to measurable population-level improvements. Sweden’s trajectory contrasts sharply with markets where alternatives remain poorly understood or inaccessible.
Building on this model of tobacco harm reduction, a similar pattern of shifting consumer behavior is now visible in parts of the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) funded Badael has set up a factory in Jeddah for its tobacco-free nicotine pouches, DZRT.
The new facility, which launched in July 2024, uses advanced manufacturing processes and global standards to produce Saudi-made nicotine pouches to meet demand and provide an alternative for smokers. These DZRT nicotine pouches have quickly gained traction among adult consumers, contributing to a noticeable transition away from traditional cigarettes.
The product’s growth aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader public-health modernization efforts, where non-combustible alternatives are increasingly recognized as tools to reduce smoking prevalence. Retail data and market analyses indicate rising demand for regulated oral nicotine products, supported by clearer differentiation between combustible and non-combustible categories. The Saudi experience highlights how regulated access, combined with consumer education, can drive shifts in adult behaviour without encouraging new uptake among minors.
Parallel to these consumer shifts are significant developments in manufacturing. In South Asia, Pakistan has emerged as a manufacturing hub for nicotine pouches, with both Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPKL) and British American Tobacco (BAT) investing in local production. PMPKL’s facility in Sahiwal recently began producing nicotine pouches, marking a major step forward in Pakistan’s alignment with global smoke-free innovation. BAT has expanded its own operations in the country, producing nicotine pouches for domestic and regional markets. These developments highlight how Pakistan is investing efforts into tobacco-free nicotine products, attracting technology, skilled employment, and foreign investment while diversifying alternatives available to adult smokers.
The scientific consensus underpinning these market and policy changes is clear. Public health authorities confirm that nicotine, while addictive, is not itself the primary cause of smoking-related diseases but rather other dangerous chemicals released in the combustion process. Nicotine pouches contain no tobacco and completely eliminate burning, so exposure to deadly compounds drops drastically. "Toxicological assessments consistently show that nicotine pouches contain only a fraction of the harmful and potentially harmful constituents found in cigarette smoke," says one European regulatory assessment that supports their use under modern harm-reduction programs.
A broader pattern has therefore begun to emerge across global markets, countries that provide regulated access to non-combustible alternatives are seeing faster declines in smoking, while those that rely on bans or misinformation struggle to reduce cigarette use. Today over 50 countries globally regulate nicotine pouches creating a possibility for smokers to transition safely. Even the Netherlands and Belgium, the 2 countries which have banned nicotine pouches, ensure other safer alternatives such as e-cigarettes/ENDS exist in the market, providing smokers with opportunities to quit. Pakistan’s manufacturing growth and Sweden’s near–smoke-free status demonstrate how innovation and access contribute to meaningful progress. In contrast, countries where the science around nicotine remains unclear continue to face stagnation in smoking reduction.
Against this global framework, Bangladesh sits at a critical juncture. With one of the highest smoking rates in the region and a significant economic and public-health burden linked to combustible tobacco, the country lacks a structured regulatory approach for nicotine pouches and other reduced-risk products. When all efforts to completely eliminate tobacco addiction have failed, it becomes imperative to ensure safer alternate products such as nicotine pouches are available in the market to ensure people have the ability to transition, and eventually quit. It is similar to how over the world people are transitioning from fossil fuel powered cars to EVs to curb the polluti9on problem, since, cars themselves cannot be banned or removed.
As neighbouring Pakistan advances manufacturing capacity and countries like Sweden show the public-health gains of embracing alternatives, analysts suggest Bangladesh risks falling behind in both policy and innovation. Public health advocates argue that without a clear, science-based framework that differentiates nicotine from combustion and ensures responsible regulation, millions of Bangladeshi adults remain at risk without access to safer, controlled options. They conclude that creating such a framework could position Bangladesh to reduce smoking-related harms more effectively and align with evolving global best practices.
The writer is a lawyer and human rights activist.
