
What NJ needs to know about Zyn nicotine pouches, now cleared by feds
⚫ FDA authorizes some Zyn products
⚫ Nicotine pouches already popular
⚫ Experts say heed vape mistakes
Federal regulators have granted their first-ever authorization to certain nicotine pouch products, already available in New Jersey and the rest of the country.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration okayed the marketing of about 20 types of Zyn, a popular brand of nicotine pouch, for use by adults.
Nicotine pouches are a type of tobacco product that contain nicotine powder or salts — not cut, ground, powdered or leaf tobacco itself.
The pouches are meant to be held between a user’s lip and gum, where the nicotine is absorbed into the body, with no spitting required.
Newly authorized products include flavors like cool mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, citrus, coffee, cinnamon, “smooth,” “chill” and menthol.
State lawmakers have already drafted legislation that would ban the sale of such flavored nicotine pouches in New Jersey.
The bipartisan measure stalled in committee early last year.
“To receive marketing authorizations, the FDA must have sufficient evidence that the new products offer greater benefits to population health than risks,” FDA Center for Tobacco Products Office of Science Director Matthew Farrelly said.
“In this case, the data show that these nicotine pouch products meet that bar by benefiting adults who use cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products and completely switch to these products.”
Zyn is made by Swedish Match USA, which is owned by Philip Morris International.
Smoke-free business accounted for about 38% of the tobacco giant’s net revenues for the first three quarters of last year.
Experts say heed vape mistakes
Nicotine pouches were the focus of a call to action last month by the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, published in Journal of the American Medical Association.
Rutgers experts said the FDA should learn from the flood of unauthorized electronic-cigarette products and move quickly to regulate nicotine pouches — granting marketing orders for appropriate products and penalizing those who violate the law.
Earlier in 2024, the FDA issued warning letters to several online retailers for the sale of unauthorized, flavored ZYN nicotine pouches — including Espressino, Black Cherry, Lemon Spritz, and Cucumber Lime.
The biggest concerns for nicotine pouch use among youth, as outlined by Yale Medicine, are the addictive nature of the stimulant and its effect on still-developing brains.
Already, Zyn has used individuals dubbed “Zynfluencers” to help promote the brand, and there also is the youth-appeal of flavored products.
Read More: NJ warns 11,000 businesses over sales of flavored vapes
The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey released in December found 1.8% of students, or 480,000, reported current use of nicotine pouches, with Zyn the most prominent brand at 69%.
Out of current users, 85.6% used flavored nicotine pouches, with mint being most popular, followed by fruit.
The FDA authorized the following products for marketing to adults:
▪️ ZYN Cool Mint 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Peppermint 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Spearmint 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Wintergreen 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Citrus 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Coffee 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Cinnamon 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Smooth 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Chill 3mg and 6mg
▪️ ZYN Menthol 3mg and 6mg
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