Big Tobacco Isn’t Dead … Just Rebranded.

It’s easy to think tobacco is a problem of the past. Cigarette ads can’t run everywhere like they used to, smoking rates have steadily declined and public awareness of the issue has grown. However, tobacco and nicotine are still alive and as addictive as ever; they just look a little different than they used to.
Big Tobacco companies have shifted their focus from conventional cigarettes to products such as vapes and nicotine pouches. Big Tobacco wants you to think these new products feel “cleaner, sleeker and safer.” Behind the rebrand, though, they hold the same objective: to attract new users and keep them coming back.

An Ever-Increasing Market for Nicotine

Believe it or not, the nicotine industry is not shrinking. It’s expanding.
New products, such as nicotine pouches, are one of the fastest growing segments of the market. According to the Truth Initiative, nicotine pouch sales nearly tripled from $145 million to almost $400 million between 2023 and 2024. Internationally, the nicotine pouch market made $7.4 billion in 2023, emphasizing the growing demand.
Dual product use is also becoming an issue. Research shows that many users are now combining products, with dual use of vapes and nicotine pouches increasing by approximately 15% in just one year. In fact, 73% of young nicotine pouch users also smoke cigarettes, and nearly half also vape.
It’s important to look at the whole picture. The diversification of tobacco products is being mistaken as a decline in tobacco’s impact and influence. Instead of having just one product, tobacco sales are spread over numerous entry points into a very dangerous and potentially life-altering addiction.

New Products, Same Damage

Today’s nicotine products are designed to be appealing, especially to younger audiences and first-time nicotine users. Many brands offer flavors like menthol, fruit and candy, which make them easier to start using and more difficult to stop. In fact, nearly all nicotine pouches are flavored.
At the same time, these products are marketed as “smoke-free,” “clean” and “discreet” — likely meaning these products are intended to be used where smoking is not allowed. Frequent use doesn’t feel like a marketing tactic, but it is. When a nicotine product is used in a place where conventional tobacco cigarettes are banned (or taboo at the very least), it starts to feel normal, acceptable and possibly even harmless. However, nicotine comes with its own set of health risks.

Marketing Has Gone Digital (and More Subtle)

There is a lot of focus on how the products themselves have adapted to more modern times, but a huge factor of Big Tobacco’s ongoing success can be attributed to marketing.
In the past, tobacco advertisements were much easier to recognize. TV commercials, billboards and magazine ads are just a few of the platforms where the message was delivered. It was common for a menthol ad to share space with household cleaners and cosmetics. Today, they’re much harder to spot. Marketing has shifted to social media, influencer content and digital spaces that blend into everyday life.
Tobacco companies are increasingly using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to promote products through trends, user-generated content and sponsorships. The dangerous products are also featured in several current shows, movies and music videos, and sponsor crowded, viral events. Making nicotine use more normal, even aspirational, is just one marketing strategy Big Tobacco has leaned into.
Viral content, subtle branding and digital communities are helping these products spread often without looking like traditional advertising. In a sense, creating a vibe that someone might want to be a part of. This results in a new kind of marketing environment; one where nicotine is embedded into the culture.

Addiction Is Still the Outcome

The look might have changed, but the consequences have not. Nicotine is highly addictive and today’s products are designed to deliver it efficiently. While many users claim to be “experimenting”, they are developing lasting habits. The American Lung Association states that 73% of young people who have tried nicotine pouches are still using them.
Simultaneously, many young users want to quit nicotine. Around 67% of young adult nicotine users report plans to quit, heavily fueled by health concerns.
While marketing makes these products look appealing, the reality of addiction remains impossible to escape.

Prevention and Cessation Awareness Has To Evolve

Tobacco’s influence doesn’t look how it used to, but its impact is all the same. Big Tobacco is a for-profit industry. It continues to find new ways to reach and addict people, especially younger audiences. We must continue to evolve as well.