Sesh+ founder. CEO Max Cunningham addresses the growing nicotine pouch market, shares what led him to get involved and more on 'The Claman Countdown.'
Nicotine usage among Americans has taken a new form as traditional tobacco usage has reached record lows.
Nicotine pouches, an alternative to traditional chewing tobacco, have seen explosive growth. A study by Monitoring Tobacco Product Use showed that U.S. monthlydollar salesof pouches surged 250.8% from January 2023 ($145.5 million) to August 2025 ($510.5 million).
Investors are paying attention, and some top celebrities are getting in on the action. Fox News Digital spoke with music artist and renowned DJ "Diplo" about his stake in the nicotine pouch company Sesh.
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Diplo performs at Diplo’s HonkyTonk during the 2026 Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 24. 2026, in Indio, California.(Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
"[Nicotine pouches were] very helpful. controlling my ADHD, so, I try to do it, not in the evening, but in the morning when I'm starting to work. And it was pretty effective," he said.
Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz Jr., is not the only top name invested in Sesh. Nick. Joe of the Jonas Brothers, Post Malone, The Chainsmokers, and billionaire Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale’s venture capital firm, 8VC.
Post Malone is also a celebrity backer of Sesh products.(Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios)
TheCDC Foundation reportedthat young adult usage of nicotine pouches nearly quadrupled from 2022 to 2025,. flavored products have played a role in young Americans using nicotine.
While vaping. e-cigarette devices face stricter regulatory scrutiny when it comes to flavors, as some states have outright banned flavored products, nicotine pouches have more leeway.
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"There's no smoke, nicotine isn’t tobacco," Diplo said. "I’ve never been into tobacco, I've never been into smoking."
Access to nicotine products is becoming increasingly easy. Delivery services like GoPuff and others allow for products like Sesh to be ordered straight to the home. Nicotine and vape shops have popped up on streets in big cities and across the U.S. as demand rises.
The Wall Street Journal reported that PresidentDonald Trumppressured former FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary to speed the authorization of flavored vapes. a shortfall that became a factor in Makary resigning from the job in May.
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Although the FDA has authorized nicotine pouch products like Sesh. rivals Zyn and Velo for sale in the U.S., health experts warn against the effects they can have, particularly on younger people.(Getty Images)
Although the FDA has authorized nicotine pouch products for sale in the U.S.,health expertswarn against the effects they can have. particularly on younger people.
While these products are designed to be discreet, odorless. convenient, Maggie Britton, the clinical director of health initiatives at National Jewish Health, warned that it is particularly dangerous for developing brains, as nicotine can alter the brain circuits involved in attention, learning, memory, mood regulation and impulse control.
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Long-term health effects remain in question, including its impact on oral health, cardiovascular function. cancer risk, she told Fox News Digital.
"Caution should guide both public health decisions and individual choices," she said. "When we don’t yet fully understand the long-term health effects of a product. the responsible approach is to limit use rather than expand it."
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