Zyns, a popular nicotine pouch product, are sold at Tobacco International located at 18 E 13th Ave. Credit: Nora Igelnik | Campus Reporter
As bans on electronic cigarette flavors are pursued by the federal government and state governments, another flavored nicotine alternative has surged in popularity.
A prevalent nicotine pouch brand, Zyn, expanded its U.S. business by 62% in 2023, according to Phillip-Morris International, the parent company of Zyn’s manufacturer, Swedish Match. Zyns are small, pillow-like pouches that contain nicotine powder that can be discreetly placed between the lower or upper lip and gum.
The product has been promoted by online influencers and celebrities alike, as Fox media personality Tucker Carlson recently appeared on the popular Full Send podcast talking about his love for Zyns and how nicotine increases “mental acuity.”
Although nicotine pouches pose fewer health risks than smoking cigarettes or vaping, nicotine researcher and Ohio State assistant professor Brittney Keller-Hamilton said they are still dangerous for young people
“Depending on the person’s age, notably if they’re under 25 and their brain is still developing, using nicotine products does affect brain development,” Keller-Hamilton said. “It primes you for a stronger nicotine addiction that makes it harder to quit the products later and it increases risk of addiction to other substances.”
National Institute of Health reports show 24% of U.S. college students use e-cigarettes or vapes, with Zyns specifically growing in popularity amongst the demographic.
For those already addicted to vaping or smoking, Keller-Hamilton said nicotine pouches can be a good alternative to aid with quitting.
“There have been some industry-funded studies and recently some independent studies that have shown that [nicotine pouches] have a really low level of carcinogens, in some cases so low that it can’t be detected or it would be qualified as trace amounts,” Keller-Hamilton said. “And when you compare that to a cigarette, that product of nicotine pouches should carry much lower health risks.”
Still, Keller-Hamilton said not enough research has been conducted to reflect the potential benefits of switching to nicotine pouches.
The tobacco industry has developed a “graduation program,” where users are introduced to smokeless nicotine products that are mild and have flavorings similar to what is found in candy. After a user grows accustomed to these products, Keller-Hamilton said they move on to ones with stronger nicotine delivery that meets the growing dependence of the user.
Zyns website currently offers products in 3 and 6 milligrams of nicotine in the U.S. with flavors like cool mint, peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, cinnamon, coffee, citrus and menthol.
Despite these marketing tactics, Keller-Hamilton said researchers are seeing anecdotal reports from college students who use these products for “cognitive performance.”
Researchers like Jesse Walker, assistant professor of marketing and logistics at Ohio State, said it is not uncommon for companies to want to hook people to their products from an early age, drawing a comparison to Starbucks.
“Starbucks is well aware of the fact that they offer these kinds of sugary sort of drinks that could barely even really be called coffee drinks,” Walker said. “They’re mostly just kind of milkshakes. I guess that there are some adults who consume them, but they’re well aware that it’s teenagers who really like these things. And so they’re creating a really strong brand connection with young people by selling these kinds of products.”
Walker said influencer marketing can be influential in getting people hooked on certain products. According to the New York Times, Zyn claims they do not use social media influencers for marketing and they focus on preventing underage access to their products.
“There’s kind of this word-of-mouth element to an influencer and to anything an influencer is saying about a product,” Walker said. “It feels like it’s coming from a friend or a family member. And we’re always going to trust word of mouth from someone we know more so than we’re going to trust any kind of messaging that comes from a company.”
Even so, the word “Zyn” has been tagged in over 37,000 TikTok videos.
In late January, U.S. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer urged the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate Zyns.
“It’s a pouch packed with problems — high levels of nicotine,” Schumer said in a press conference. “So today, I’m delivering a warning to parents, because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids – teenagers, and even lower, and then use the social media to hook ’em.”
If students are looking for more information on programs to quit nicotine or tobacco, Ohio State’s Student Wellness Center offers support. Wellness coordinators will meet with any student who would like more information about tobacco, nicotine and vaping use, and will direct them to any relevant community resources.
Ohio’s Tobacco Quit Line is 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or 1-800-784-8669.
