ON! Nicotine Pouches (Level 1 & Level 3) - Review. 17 August 2015.

There's a new smokeless product on the market, and it's a little different from what we usually review.  But I am an advocate for all forms of harm reduction - anything that will help a smoker quit smoking - and I wanted to cover these products.  In my eyes, any way that a nicotine addicted individual can get nicotine without incurring the harmful side effects of smoking is a good thing. Enter ON! Nicotine Pouches by Chill of Sweden. Chill of Sweden is a sister company to the company that makes Al Capone, which I've reviewed in the past.

The Packaging

For our readers who are snus users and interested in ON! Nicotine Pouches, this is a size comparison between a container of ON! Nicotine Pouches and General Snus.  The ON! can is square, whereas the Swedish Snus can is round.  The ON! can is also more slim.  But, the pouches are smaller, so it makes sense that they have a smaller container to hold them.

The Nicotine Strengths

When it comes to nicotine strength, ON! comes in two strengths, or quantums.  Quantum 1 is one dot out of three, and comes in at 1mg of nicotine.  Quantum 2 is three dots out of three, and comes in at 3mg of nicotine.  That may not sound like a lot, but this is a purified nicotine product which delivers nicotine faster, so even with the lower amount of nicotine it should still provide satisfaction to people who are trying to quit smoking.  I remember when I was trying to quit smoking I started with General Mini Mint which was a 4mg/g nicotine product and I was able to quit smoking with that.  So this is still a viable option for those looking to quit smoking and try a product that contains nicotine, but not tobacco.

A Closer Look Inside The Can And Pouch

For a closer look inside the can, you'll see that ON! Nicotine Pouches opens on top.  There are 20 pouches inside the can.  On the bottom there is also a small catch lid for discarding of your used portions.  To do a comparison between ON! Nicotine Pouches and Swedish Snus, you'll see the ON! pouch on the left is relatively smaller than the regular sized Swedish Snus pouch on the right.  It's about the size of a Swedish Snus mini portion. ON! is a patented white, dry nicotine pouch.  These pouches are free from tobacco.  The nicotine is derived naturally from tobacco, though the pouches do not contain tobacco.  The nicotine is crystalized, which provides for a release faster than that of tobacco.  On the very bottom of this photo you'll see what's inside of an ON! Nicotine Pouch.  It looks like table salt and is relatively dry to the touch.  These pouches do not contain any moisture, so when you insert one it may be a bit uncomfortable at first until the pouch gets more moist.

How To Use ON! Nicotine Pouches

In case you've never used a product like this, or this is the first you're hearing about pouched nicotine, it's very simple to use.  They provide the handy infographic to the left that explains how to use it.

"Step 1: Select a fresh pouch and place up under your lip, against your gum. Don’t worry, no one will be able to see it. 

Step 2: Now just wait for the gentle tingling sensation and enjoy. You can move it’s position but no need to chew. (Enjoy up to 20 minutes) 

Step 3: Once you’ve finished enjoying please use the disposal in the back of the pack or find your nearest bin."

ON! Nicotine Pouches - Mint (Review)

When you open the packaging of ON! Nicotine Pouches Mint the aroma is a combination of mint and menthol.  The mint smell is sharp and the menthol hints remain in the background.  When you put a pouch in your lip there is a slight tingle that comes through and a gentle cooling sensation.  The taste is a very clean, light and airy mint taste.  There is a very slight hint of menthol in the background, but it doesn't overpower the mint.  If you've ever had Al Capone Mint it's very reminiscent of that flavor.

ON! Nicotine Pouches - Coffee (Review)

These smell delicious.  I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I do enjoy the smell of coffee.  It's a mild smell of roasted coffee beans with a slight hint of sweetness to it, almost like a frappuccino.  When you put a pouch in there is a slight tingle.  The taste is a very mild and gentle taste of coffee with a slight hint of sweetness.  It's a very mild and mellow coffee taste.  I imagine coffee drinkers would enjoy this one! The closest snus I can compare this to would be a milder Olde Ving 99.

ON! Nicotine Pouches - Citrus (Review)

If you're new to pouches nicotine products, the flavor of citrus is the most popular flavor when it comes to Swedish Snus.  So it would make sense that Chill of Sweden would want to make a citrus flavored product.  When you open the package of ON! Citrus, the aroma that comes through is a clean lemon smell.  It reminds me a lot of lemon cough drops. This product reminds me a lot of the taste and aroma of Al Capone Citrus.  When you put a pouch in there is a slight tingle, and a mild flavor of lemon comes through with a little hint of menthol in the background.  I was hoping this one would be more orange/bergamot, but I keep forgetting this isn't a Swedish Snus product.  I do enjoy the taste of lemon, however, and I find the taste of this one to be pretty pleasant and enjoyable.

ON! Nicotine Pouches - Berry (Review)

This is the one I was the most excited to try.  I've been enjoying a berry snus product lately, so this one got my interest when I heard about it.  When you open a package, the aroma that comes through is a mild but fruity aroma that reminds me of a blend of raspberry and cherry.  There is a mild tingle that comes on when you put a pouch under your lip.  I can't really think of a Swedish Snus product that this flavor compares to, it's a little different from other pouched nicotine products I've tried in the past.  It's a mild and fruity taste that reminds me of raspberry but with just a small amount of cherry in the background. If you're into fruity tastes, this would be one to try out.

ON! Nicotine Pouches - Wintergreen (Review)

If you haven't read my website or blog before, I want to be upfront that I'm not a big fan of wintergreen.  I had a bad experience with wintergreen dip in high school, and even since then I haven't been the biggest fan of wintergreen.  However, when I do flavor reviews I try to remain objective and not let that cloud my judgment of the taste of a product.  When you open a package of ON! Wintergreen, the aroma that comes through is closer to Wintergreen gum than to Wintergreen dip.  When you insert a pouch under the lip there is a slight tingle that comes on.  The taste is a mild wintergreen flavor with a slight sweetness to it.  If I had to place it close to anything I would place the flavor closer to Trident Wintergreen Gum than to any wintergreen tobacco product.

Where To Buy ON! Nicotine Pouches

If you're interested in trying ON! Nicotine Pouches, there are two ways you can get ahold of them. You can use their handy store locator to find stores that carry the products. Currently they're only in the Chicago area, but should be expanding next year. You can also order them online. The cost is $5.79 each with free shipping on orders of 25$ or more.

With all that being said, the question remains: "What do I think about ON! Nicotine Pouches?" I am an advocate for harm reduction.  I am for anything that will help people quit smoking and eliminate the risks of smoking.  I am a Swedish Snus user because that is my preference.  However, I know that everyone quits smoking differently and what works for me won't work for everyone else.  I also know there are people who, like me, can't quit smoking with pharmaceutical aids.  Products like this definitely have a place in the harm reduction community.  For people who want to continue to enjoy nicotine but do not wish to consume tobacco, this is a great product for you to try out.  Speaking about the nicotine strength, that is relative to the consumer.  When I quit smoking, I quit with 4mg/g Swedish Snus, so the 3mg strength would probably have been enough for me at that time to quit smoking.  Some people require less, and the 1mg strength may be good enough for them.  The flavors are all decent, I didn't dislike the flavor of any of these.  If I had to pick favorites I would have to say Coffee and Berry.  I am definitely supportive of any product that will help people quit smoking and I'm glad to see more products on the US market that can help achieve that goal.

ON! Nicotine Pouches are available from SnusMe.com!

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