Nicotine pouches are revered among tech workers, who tout them as the perfect brain-boosting, productivity-jacking stimulants.In 2024, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson launched his own brand, ALP, an acronym for American Lip Pillow. As an ex-smoker, Carlson emphasized the importance of nicotine during a podcast with Theo Von in December, presenting himself as a modern-day Marlboro Man for a smoke-free era. He stated, “Nicotine’s super important. This country’s gotten far sadder and less healthy since it was discouraged, and it’s coming back and it shows: People are just happier.” In a candid admission to Men’s Health in January, he acknowledged the addictive nature of ALP, saying, “Is ALP addictive? Fuck yeah, it’s addictive!” Carlson, 56, also reportedly told podcaster Lex Fridman that nicotine “literally … makes my dick super hard.”
The fundamental mechanism of nicotine, which floods the brain with dopamine, remains unchanged from smoking to pouch use. Dependency can develop rapidly, but some tech sector users find the surge in productivity offsets the risk of addiction. Cory Firth, an entrepreneur and flow-state coach, is a proponent of a brand called Sonic. He follows a regimen of four-week cycles, punctuated by a week or two of abstinence. “When I notice that I need it to feel normal, that’s when I know I’m in trouble and I need to take a break,” he says.
Nick Bostrom, author of the bestselling book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, prefers to ingest nicotine via a coated toothpick, citing its “nootropic benefits for memory and concentration.” He finds the nicotine pouches, which are transforming the workdays of many tech workers, somewhat distasteful. Bostrom, 53, abandoned nicotine gum after many years due to concerns about its health implications. He believes the pouches may follow a similar path—praised until someone scrutinizes the fine print. He suggests that using an unflavored toothpick is a cleaner way to consume nicotine, adding with a touch of irony, “There’s a kind of coolness in being like, ‘Yes, I’m a machine.’”
Brian Erkkila, a neuroscientist and head of executive affairs at Philip Morris, declined to comment on whether smokeless nicotine is trendy. However, he did imply that cigarettes are outdated, referring to them as “a 20th century nicotine-delivery way of doing things.” He also dismissed some of the biohackers’ claims, stating that the science is “not solid enough to say that there is a cognitive benefit.” Furthermore, Erkkila dismissed criticism of Zyn pouches’ composition
