Editorial policy

This page describes how Pouch Times produces its coverage, what its scores mean, who is accountable for them, and how commercial support is disclosed. It is meant to be read, not skimmed.

How we keep the record

We record what brands and retailers state, and attribute it. Stated strength is reported exactly as printed, with the standing note that stated strength and delivered nicotine are different measures. We never describe pouches as safe, healthy or a cessation product, and we are precise about the difference between statute and retailer policy when we write about age of sale.

What our scores mean

Scores run 0–10 and are judgments, not averages of sub-scores. A 7 is a good product with real trade-offs. An 8 is an easy recommendation for the right buyer. A 9 is rare and means we struggled to find a meaningful fault; treat 8.7 as the practical ceiling. Every review lists genuine cons — if we cannot find any, we have not looked hard enough — and no score can be bought.

Disclosure

Pouch Times is a commercially supported publication. Posts containing affiliate links, and posts that are sponsored, carry a disclosure with the post. Sponsored and affiliate links are marked rel="sponsored" in the page's code. Sponsors never see, edit or approve editorial copy before publication, and no score can be bought — see the advertising page for what is and is not for sale.

Bylines

Pouch Times publishes under house bylines maintained by the editorial team. Marion Hedge, the editor's byline on our reviews, is a disclosed house pen name — the accountable editorial identity for everything published under it, in the tradition of publications that write under a house name rather than inventing biographies. News runs under “Staff, Pouch Times.” There is no invented journalist behind any byline on this site.

Corrections

If we have published an error — a figure, a date, a term, a price — we want to know. Reach the editorial desk via the contact page and say “correction” in the first line; that queue moves fastest. We correct promptly and note material corrections in the post.