There’s no debate: smoking and nicotine are not good for your health. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier to quit smoking.

As a psychiatrist who specializes in addictions, I understand the challenges of quitting a substance as addictive as nicotine. That’s why I’m sharing information about nicotine withdrawal and how to manage the discomfort that comes with it.

Nicotine pouches first became available in the U.S. almost a decade ago. Today, they are the second most used tobacco product among high school students, according to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, with 1.8% of respondents having used nicotine pouches in the past 30 days.

And recently, nicotine pouches have been in the headlines after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an application allowing some to be marketed...