You’re at a charming bar, sharing a bottle of wine, and the vibes are perfect. It’s your first successful date in weeks. But then, something terrible happens. Between sips of Sauvignon Blanc, your date opens their mouth and shoves a tiny white pouch under their upper lip. Suddenly, you’re looking for the exit.
What Are Nicotine Pouches?
Nicotine pouches are small sachets, slightly smaller than a strip of chewing gum. Placed between the lip and gums for 15 to 40 minutes, nicotine is absorbed through the mouth lining, often causing a tingling or warming sensation known as ‘nicotine burn’. Unlike cigarettes or snus, they contain no tobacco leaf. Brands like Velo and Zyn market them as tobacco-free, smoke-free, and vapour-free alternatives. However, there is little regulation on marketing, nicotine strength, or age restrictions.
Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, warns: ‘Regular use can lead to dependence, increased heart rate and blood pressure, headaches, nausea, mouth irritation, and gum problems.’ She adds that while they may be less harmful than cigarettes, ‘less harmful is not the same as healthy.’
Why Are Nicotine Pouches a Dating Turn-Off?
A Reddit post in r/Womenover30 sparked a wave of negative reactions, with comments describing pouches as ‘disgusting’, ‘yucky’, and a ‘hard no’. One user shared: ‘My boyfriend used them until a month ago, and they’re disgusting. They stick to everything, and I’d find them in places you’d never want to find them – like his pillow.’ Another said: ‘Nicotine addiction is deeply unattractive.’
Podcast host George Oglethorpe, 29, told Metro: ‘Even thinking about my date unscrewing that little cylinder tub gives me the ick. It’s the way they put it in as if it’s something medical and totally crucial to their wellbeing.’
The Saliva Factor
Shoving something into your mouth and then removing it feels akin to chewing food and then popping it back on your plate. Londoner Rovie Hernandez, 28, described a date who used five to six pouches in one night: ‘When he was done, he would take the used one out, put it back in his little box, and carry it around in his pocket. The idea was so icky to me.’ Redditors echoed this: ‘Spitting out slimy little pouch slugs without putting them in the trash? F***ing gross.’
Pouches also hinder romantic moments. How can you go in for a spontaneous kiss when their mouth is preoccupied? Rovie’s date had to pause, remove the pouch, kiss, then immediately replace it. ‘He pulled it out, and I immediately lost the horn,’ Rovie recalled, adding that he found himself fantasising about a ‘very sexy man’ he once shared a cigarette with.
The Cigfluencer Effect
So-called ‘cigfluencers’ are not helping. Charli XCX’s Brat summer of 2024 has been blamed for making smoking seem sexy again. Despite smoking being the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, with nearly 78,000 deaths annually, some still find it appealing. Content creator Jessica Corrigan, 26, said: ‘I’d rather they ask to go outside for a smoke. There’s nothing about nicotine pouches that are hot to me at all – a cigarette though is fit (sadly).’
However, studies show non-smokers get about 50% more matches than smokers, and cigarette smoke is among the top three dating dealbreakers. So if you want to impress a date, keep your mouth free for conversation, kissing, and whatever else it might be needed for.
