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Nicotine pouches are small sachets placed between the gum and the lip, releasing nicotine through the lining of the mouth. Their colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and discreet use have turned them into a growing trend among adolescents and young people.
The trend was recently highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), which warned about their rapid global expansion, describing them as products «aggressively marketed to adolescents and young people».
With the global nicotine pouch market estimated at nearly $7 billion in 2025, these products have also reached Morocco, bringing with them the same health risks and marketing tactics targeting younger consumers.
In comments to Yabiladi, Hassan El Baghdadi, president of the National Association for the Fight Against Smoking and Other Drugs in Morocco, described the phenomenon as «one of the most pressing public health issues of our time», warning that products marketed as smoke-free and tobacco-free alternatives are becoming «a real cross-border challenge».
While Morocco lacks official statistics specifically dedicated to nicotine pouches, El Baghdadi said field observations and commercial activity clearly show that the products have entered the Moroccan market «strongly» and are attracting «growing demand among young people».
Discreet use
He pointed in particular to the rise of Moroccan e-commerce websites specializing in nicotine pouches, with «boxes typically sold for between 35 and 60 dirhams and delivered nationwide, including to Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Tangier».
According to El Baghdadi, what makes these products especially attractive to teenagers is the «secrecy and concealment factor». He explained that the pouches are placed under the upper lip and dissolve without producing smoke or smell, «making them easy to use inside classrooms or in front of parents without being detected».
He also warned about the growing role of influencers on TikTok and Instagram in promoting nicotine pouches as symbols of «modernity» and as stimulants for energy and concentration, messages that «quickly resonate with teenagers».
El Baghdadi argued that Moroccan authorities are currently facing a legal «grey zone», since the products are marketed as tobacco-free and can therefore escape the stricter laws applied to conventional cigarettes.
In its warning, the WHO noted that nicotine pouches often fall through regulatory cracks, with around 160 countries having no specific legislation governing them, leaving young people particularly exposed.
Calls for stricter laws and bans
To prevent the situation from worsening, El Baghdadi called for a package of legislative and regulatory measures, including integrating nicotine pouches and all new nicotine derivatives into Morocco’s anti-smoking laws.
He also urged authorities to strictly ban sales to minors through mandatory identity checks and to impose «deterrent sanctions and heavy fines» on shops and grocery stores selling the products to underage consumers.
The anti-smoking activist further called for tighter oversight of online sales and delivery services, while advocating higher taxes on nicotine pouches to place them «beyond the purchasing power of teenagers, who often rely on pocket money».
Beyond legislation, El Baghdadi stressed that awareness campaigns «should not be limited to dry traditional methods», but instead adapt to the digital language of teenagers through short, interactive videos on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
«The focus should be on the fact that nicotine is a toxic substance that causes rapid addiction and affects brain development, concentration, and memory among teenagers», he said, also warning that nicotine pouches can cause gum ulcers and oral diseases.
He further called for awareness campaigns in middle and high schools through partnerships between the ministries of education and health and civil society groups. Parents, he added, should also familiarize themselves with nicotine pouch containers, which are often mistaken for candy or chewing gum boxes.
