Josh Brolin says he uses nicotine pouches ’24 hours a day’ and sleeps with them in his mouth

• Josh Brolin says he uses nicotine pouches almost all the time, including while he’s asleep.
• He switched to nicotine pouches after getting cavities from nicotine lozenges, he said on a podcast.
• Nicotine pouches like Zyn are getting increasingly popular but aren’t FDA-approved to help quit smoking.

Josh Brolin loves his nicotine pouches and he’s not afraid to show it.

On Thursday’s episode of the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast, the “Dune” actor spoke about his nicotine habits with host Marc Maron.

Brolin said he switched to using nicotine pouches after he got cavities from nicotine lozenges.

“They go in two seconds, but they taste like gasoline, and they got a punch to them,” Brolin said. “But I used to keep them up between my gum and my tooth line. I got seven cavities.”

Evidence has suggested that even sugar-free nicotine lozenges can cause tooth decay, the primary cause of cavities, according to a case report in the National Library of Medicine.

Now, Brolin says he’s using the nicotine pouches almost all the time, even at night.

“My wife would hear this in the middle of the night,” Brolin said on the podcast, while mimicking chewing noises. “I don’t even know I’m doing it, I’m asleep. I have a pouch in my lip, and I’m not fucking lying, 24 hours a day.”

Nicotine pouches are small microfiber pouches that contain a powdered mix of nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients, per the CDC. The pouches are usually placed between the user’s lip and gums, where the nicotine is absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth.

While often used as an alternative to nicotine and tobacco products like vapes and cigarettes, the FDA has not approved any nicotine pouches to help people quit smoking, per the CDC.

Zyn is one such nicotine pouch brand that has seen soaring popularity in recent years, despite being available for sale in the US since 2014.

Shipments of Zyn’s nicotine pouches in 2023 were up 62% year over year. The brand’s nicotine pouches have become a favorite among Wall Street traders, who say they use it to keep their energy up at work, as well as political conservatives such as GOP lawmakers.

A representative for Brolin did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular office hours.