200 Million People Worldwide Use Noncombustible Nicotine Products
200 Million People Worldwide Use Noncombustible Nicotine Products
Knowledge · Action · Change’s Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) has released a 2026 report estimating that approximately 200 million people worldwide use non combustible nicotine products such as vapings, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and snus. The report states that in the 28 countries analyzed, an increase in the use of such products occurred simultaneously with a decrease in smoking rates. However, the report cannot prove that about 200 million users have stopped smoking, nor can a causal relationship be established solely based on relevant trends. GSTHR also pointed out that regulatory restrictions on related products are still expanding in various countries.
200 Million People Worldwide Use Noncombustible Nicotine Products Core Overview
- GSTHR estimates that approximately 200 million people worldwide use its definition of “safer nicotine products,” including vapes, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and snus.
- The report states that in the 28 countries analyzed, an increase in the use of non combustible nicotine products was accompanied by a decrease in smoking rates.
- By 2025, it is estimated that there will be approximately 129 million adult vape users worldwide. It is estimated that there will be approximately 78 million users of heated tobacco in 2024.
- The report is operated by Knowledge · Action · Change and has received funding from Global Action to End Smoking. The latter was previously sponsored by Philip Morris International.
About 200 million people worldwide use non combustible nicotine products
GSTHR categorizes vapes, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, and snus as “safe nicotine products”.
The report estimates that approximately 200 million people worldwide are currently using these products.
This number reflects the user population of related products, and does not mean that about 200 million people have completely stopped smoking.
Some users may still use cigarettes and other nicotine products simultaneously, and there may also be user overlap between different product categories.
Therefore, the statement “200 million people say goodbye to cigarettes” used by media such as Vozp ó puli goes beyond the scope that the report data itself can directly prove.
The estimated number of vape users is 129 million
The global user estimation of vapes is relatively complete across different product categories.
According to the latest research cited by GSTHR, there will be approximately 129 million adult vape users worldwide by 2025.
The relevant estimates have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Epidemiology.
The report also estimates that there will be approximately 78 million global users of heated tobacco products in 2024.
Nicotine pouches and SNUS users are also included in the overall estimate of approximately 200 million GSTHR users, but the various products cannot be simply added up because some consumers may use multiple categories at the same time.
28 countries show a parallel trend of “increased usage and decreased smoking”
GSTHR analyzed changes in the use of non combustible nicotine products and smoking rates in 28 countries.
The report states that these markets generally exhibit a common phenomenon: while the use of vapes, heated tobacco, or other non combustible products increases, the smoking rate of traditional cigarettes decreases.
GSTHR refers to this phenomenon as the ‘scissor effect’, where two trend lines move in opposite directions.
However, this observation belongs to the description of correlation.
The data presented in the report cannot alone prove that the increase in the use of non combustible nicotine products directly leads to a decrease in smoking rates. Tobacco taxes, smoking bans in public places, changes in health awareness, population structure, and other smoking control measures may also simultaneously affect smoking rates.
The report states that regulatory restrictions are still expanding
GSTHR also believes that the trend of consumers migrating to non combustible nicotine products contrasts with some global regulatory policies.
The report points out that some countries still prohibit the sale of vapes, nicotine pouches, or other non combustible products, while traditional cigarettes can still be legally sold in many markets.
K.A.C. believes that these regulatory differences limit the opportunities for adult smokers to access alternative products and calls on policymakers to further adopt a tobacco harm reduction framework.
This policy stance belongs to the perspective of GSTHR and its operating agencies.
Source of Funds and Institutional Background
GSTHR is operated by Knowledge · Action · Change, a public health agency in the UK.
Its 2026 project has received funding from Global Action to End Smoking.
Global Action to End Smoking was formerly known as the Foundation for a Smoke Free World. This institution has historically received funding support from Philip Morris International (PMI).
Global Action states that it will no longer accept funding from tobacco companies or non-medical nicotine companies after 2023; PMI also stated that the original funding arrangement between the two parties has been terminated in 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously criticized the agency’s independence and cooperation issues due to its historical funding relationship with PMI, and recommended that public health institutions keep their distance.
This funding background does not directly negate the specific data in the report, but when quoting its policy conclusions, it needs to be distinguished from independent public health institutions and official data.
The user base of non combustible products continues to expand
Regardless of the stance taken on the policy proposals in the report, its aggregated data still shows that non combustible nicotine products have formed a significant user base worldwide.
The number of vape users has exceeded 100 million, and the number of users of heated tobacco products has reached tens of millions. Nicotine pouches continue to grow in markets such as the United States and Europe.
For the industry, the key issue in the next stage is not only whether the number of non combustible product users continues to increase, but also whether these products can obtain stable regulatory access in different countries, and whether consumer conversion can be reflected in long-term data as a sustained decline in cigarette use.
The 28 country trend proposed by GSTHR provides a new global sample for this discussion, but its correlation still needs to be further validated by combining independent data from each country and long-term research.
