Lifestyle Health Celebrity Health Josh Brolin Says He Sleeps with Nicotine Pouches in His Mouth, Uses Them '24 Hours a Day' The actor shared that he switched to pouches after getting seven cavities from nicotine lozenges By Cara Lynn Shultz Cara Lynn Shultz Cara Lynn Shultz is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. Her work has previously appeared in Billboard, Forbes, and Reader's Digest. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 14, 2024 01:04PM EST Comments Josh Brolin in London in 2024. Photo: Jeff Spicer/Getty Josh Brolin shared that he uses nicotine pouches "24 hours a day" — even when he's sleepingThe actor, who recently released his memoir, From Under the Truck, told Marc Maron on his WTF podcast that he switched to pouches after getting cavities from sugar-filled nicotine lozengesHe shared a bad experience with "black market" pouches, which he bought while filming in the Middle East Josh Brolin shared that he uses nicotine pouches — and even sleeps with them. And as Brolin, 56, told Marc Maron on the Nov. 14 episode of his podcast WTF, he uses the pouches constantly after giving up chewing tobacco and nicotine lozenges. “My wife would hear this in the middle of the night,” Brolin said, imitating the sound of chewing. “I don't even know I'm doing it, I'm asleep. I have a pouch in my lip, and I'm not f—ing lying, 24 hours a day.” Nicotine pouches, as Yale Medicine explains, do not contain tobacco, and “are tucked in between a person’s lip or cheek and gums; the nicotine is absorbed into their bloodstream through mucous membranes in their mouth.” (Left) Josh Brolin; (Right) Marc Maron. Gareth Cattermole/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty Josh Brolin Says Knives Out 3 'Scared Me' Despite It Being 'One of My Favorite Jobs That I've Ever Had' Brolin, who shared his struggles with addiction in his new memoir, From Under the Truck, said he switched to pouches after experiencing some bad side effects with nicotine lozenges. “They taste like gasoline and they got a punch to them,” he said of the lozenges. “But I used to keep them up by my between my gum and my tooth line. I got seven cavities.” “That's why I switched to this,” the Brothers star said, adding that he’s such a fan that he ended up using some questionable pouches while filming in the Middle East. “We're in Jordan. And [this guy] comes up to me, and he says, 'I have some.' And it has a skull and crossbones on the top.. And it's 40 milligram packets. And I said, 'I can't do that.' ” The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! “And then one day, I start running out, and I haven't quite run out, I probably have four or five more tins [of my usual pouches] left. And I have his thing in my pocket, and I'm running back from the gym." He tried the other tin, and says, “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. I literally was sh—ting my brains out. It was f—ing crazy.” The Avengers alum said that afterward, he paid $300 on the black market for his preferred product. Josh Brolin with his wife, Kathryn Boyd. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Josh Brolin Praises Robert Downey Jr.’s Sobriety Journey After Reuniting at Broadway Show: ‘Love You, Pal’ He shared that he’s so addicted, “I have them all over the house.” While some people consider nicotine pouches to be safe, more research is needed — the pouches may cause long-term health effects like cancer of the throat and mouth, dental problems like tooth loss and discoloration, gastrointestinal issues, and gum disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “I’ve started taking them out and putting them on the bedside table,” Brolin said, adding that he was concerned about the pouches being found by his young kids. Along with his eldest children, Trevor Mansur, 36, and Eden, 29, whom he shares with his ex-wife Alice Adair, Brolin shares daughters Westlyn Reign, 6, and Chapel Grace, 3, with wife Kathryn Boyd. “If [my daughter] puts it in her mouth, she's gonna get sick. And instead of stopping, I try and teach them, ‘Don’t do that.’ “ “Stay away from Daddy’s s—t,” Maron joked. “Daddy needs that,” Brolin chimed in. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Close