“Zynfluencers” are promoting the benefits of smokeless and tobacco-free pouches, which have quickly become a growing segment of the tobacco industry.
Zyn nicotine pouches are a tobacco-free alternative designed to provide nicotine satisfaction without the need for smoking or traditional smokeless tobacco products. These small, discreet pouches are placed between the upper lip and gum, allowing users to absorb nicotine through the mucous membranes in their mouth. Zyn pouches come in a variety of flavors, including cool mint, citrus, and cinnamon, and are targeted towards current nicotine users over the age of 21.
Why it matters: The buzz around Zyn on social media, along with increased government scrutiny, mirrors the teen vaping boom of the late 2010s.
- User Promotion:
Zyn users, including college students, tout the product for its ability to provide a temporary boost in focus. Influencers like podcaster Joe Rogan and TV personality Tucker Carlson have also given the brand significant exposure.
- Zyn’s Target Audience:
According to its website, Zyn products are meant for “current nicotine users” who are older than 21. The pouches come in flavors such as cool mint, citrus, and cinnamon.
- Market Growth:
Philip Morris International, the parent company of Zyn, projects shipping approximately 520 million nicotine pouch cans in the U.S. in 2024, marking a 35% increase from the previous year.
State of play: Released in the U.S. in 2014, Zyn’s popularity has surged, fueled by TikTok and other social media platforms, drawing the attention of Congress and regulators.
- Government Scrutiny:
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for the FDA to investigate Zyn earlier this year. The FDA has received reports about increased use among minors and has issued warning letters and penalties to retailers allegedly selling Zyn to underage consumers.
- Compliance Issues:
In June, Zyn halted nationwide online sales following a D.C. subpoena over compliance with the district’s flavored tobacco sales ban, leading to a shortage and customer frustration.
- Company Stance:
Zyn’s spokesperson, Travis Parman, stated that the product provides “legal-age smokers with a better alternative than continued smoking, which is the most harmful form of nicotine use.”
The big picture: According to Thomas Carr, national policy director for the American Lung Association, big tobacco companies have a strong incentive to target youth and young adults.
- Youth Smoking Statistics: Adult smokers who began smoking regularly between ages 18 and 20 are more likely to develop high levels of nicotine dependence compared to those who start at 21 and up, per the CDC.
- FDA Recommendations: The FDA does not list nicotine pouches as one of its recommended nicotine replacement products.
How it works: Zyn pouches are placed between the gum and upper lip, allowing users to absorb nicotine without swallowing.
- Discreet Use: The pouches are discreet and do not produce smoke or odors like cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
- Tobacco Industry Classification: Although Zyn pouches do not contain tobacco leaf, the FDA classifies them as part of the tobacco industry.
Zoom out: Regulatory measures are not fully curbing nicotine access and visibility.
- Regulatory Changes: In June, the FDA rescinded a marketing ban on Juul e-cigarettes after reviewing new case law and additional product reviews. Juul, which faced scrutiny for allegedly marketing to teens, settled a lawsuit in 2022 over its advertising practices.
- Menthol E-Cigarettes: The FDA has authorized the sale of the first menthol e-cigarettes for adults.
Reality check: Youth e-cigarette usage has decreased from 2022 to 2023, according to the CDC.
- Nicotine Pouch Usage: From 2022 to 2023, 1.5% of middle and high school students reported using nicotine pouches.
Between the lines: Products intended to help smokers quit can attract youth users when freely available, experts told Axios.
- Continuous Usage: “The problem with these products, including pouches, is they allow you to use the product constantly,” said Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, a psychiatry professor at Yale who has researched adolescent tobacco use.
- Vaping Surge: More than a million teens started vaping from 2017 to 2019, reversing decades of declines in tobacco use, largely due to the popularity of Juul e-cigarettes.
