Actor Josh Brolin On Using Nicotine Pouches While Sleeping

Actor Josh Brolin, 56, recently opened up about his struggle with nicotine addiction.

On the Nov. 14 episode of the “WTF” podcast, Brolin told host Marc Maron that he uses nicotine pouches throughout the day and even while sleeping.
“I have a pouch in my lip and I'm not lying ... 24 hours a day,” he said.
Nicotine pouches are a teabag type item that people place in their mouth. They contain a powder made of nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"They are held either in the gum line or cheek area and nicotine is absorbed through a small pouch," registered addiction expert Mell McCracken told The Epoch Times on Nov. 16.
"Many people are unaware of the pouches but have actually been circulating since 2014."
McCracken, who is the executive director at No Matter What Recovery In Los Angeles, added that nicotine pouches are growing in popularity because they are smokeless, spitless, and odorless.
Brolin is famous for his roles in “The Goonies” in 1985, “No Country for Old Men” in 2007, “Milk” in 2008, "Labor Day" in 2013, “Deadpool 2” in 2018 and many other films and TV shows.
He revealed that while filming in the Middle East he used an unfamiliar brand of nicotine pouches.
“We're in Jordan and [this guy] comes up to me, and says, 'I have some,'" Brolin said. "It has a skull and crossbones on the top. and it's 40 milligram packets. I said, 'I can't do that.'"
After he started to run out of his usual nicotine pouches, Brolin eventually turned to the foreign brand.
“I stick the thing in my mouth for no more, and I swear to God on my kids, for no more than 20 seconds, and I had to cancel dinner that night," he said. "It was [expletive] crazy."
The habit began after Brolin suffered seven cavities from sugary nicotine lozenges. “I used to keep them up between my gum and my tooth line,” he said. “I got seven cavities. There's a ton of sugar. That’s why I switched.”
Like cough drops, nicotine lozenges typically contain benzocaine, eucalyptus oil, zinc compounds, pectin, and sugar unless they are sugar-free.
“Nicotine pouches might be less harmful since they don’t have tobacco or smoke, but they can still make you addicted to nicotine,” All The Way Well president Bryce Givens told The Epoch Times on Nov. 16. "It’s a bad idea to use them at night because it can make his sleep worse and hurt his gums,” and “nighttime use shows he’s very dependent on them.”
All The Way Well is a recovery coaching service.
A 2022 CDC study found that only 2.9 percent of Americans report ever having used nicotine pouches and former smokers or those trying to quit smoking are more likely to be among the current 0.4 percent of users.
“They potentially increase tolerance to nicotine leading to greater consumption,” McCracken said. “Their short- and long-term health consequences remain unclear.”
Nicotine is a chemical compound found in tobacco plants. Absorbing it into the lip or cheek through pouches and lozenges is a smoke-free delivery method.
"Over time, your body gets used to nicotine, and you need more to feel the same way," Givens added.
McCracken advises those addicted to nicotine to seek medication assistance through a physician.
"Medications like Chantix and Wellbutrin have been very effective for many people to help curb cravings," McCracken added. "Stopping nicotine use all together can improve not only physical health but break a cycle of dependency."
Brolin provides more details about his addiction issues in the book, “From Under the Truck,” a memoir set for release this week on Nov. 19. He is the son of actor James Brolin, 84, and casting director Jane Cameron, who died in 1995.
“I did dip when I was young,” Brolin added.
Dip, also known as snuff or chew, refers to a smokeless tobacco product that users place between their front lip and gum line. The act of dipping or chewing requires spitting.
Brolin did not respond to requests for comment.