What Parents Need to Know About the ‘Highly Addictive’ Zyn Pouches That Are All Over TikTok
While your teen is shopping for Slurpees at your local 7-11, they may notice a new product by the cigarettes: Zyn nicotine pouches. Sales of nicotine pouches like this have been rapidly increasing, Zyn leading the pack with the most sales — and if you think your kid is immune to the hype, think again. A SheKnows editor who had never heard of Zyn asked her 14- and 16-year-old sons about it, and they knew exactly what it was. Learn more about what these “highly addictive” products are, and how you can talk to your teens about them below.
What is ZYN?
Nicotine pouches like Zyn are part of a new trend of non-combustible products containing nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn products. They are little white pouches containing powdered nicotine that are supposed to be placed under your upper lip and in front of your gum, exactly like Swedish snus. You don’t chew them like nicotine gum, and you don’t have to spit like chewing tobacco, which makes it appealing (and easy to hide). Not to mention, many come in fruit flavors, so they taste much better than traditional tobacco products.
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According to the manufacturer, you can enjoy “up to one hour of real nicotine satisfaction” with each pouch, which comes in a can of 15. (Other similar brand names include Dryft, Loop, Lyft, Nordic Spirit, On!, Rouge, Rush, Velo, and ZoneX.)
Although you must be at least 21 to purchase and consume a Zyn pouch legally, that hasn’t stopped the product from getting aggressively promoted on TikTok, with videos of people trying them getting millions of views — and these videos are landing on the FYPs of teens who are too young to buy them.
Zynfluencers
You may not see ads for Zyn on TV or on billboards, but your kids are seeing them via social media influencers (or Zynfluencers) on TikTok. An 18-year-old Kansas-based high schooler recently told The New York Times that a “lot of high schoolers have been using Zyn. It’s really taken off, at least in our community.”
Philip Morris International, the parent company of Zyn, vehemently denies the claim that it’s marketed to youth, or that they’re using influencers of any sort: “Our marketing practices — which prohibit the use of social media influencers — are focused on preventing underage access and set the benchmark for the industry,” the company wrote in a statement. Further, a representative of Philip Morris International told SheKnows, “Social media communications are limited to posts on our ZYN Facebook and Instagram pages that are age-gated to 21+ audiences and adhere to the marketing restrictions of the respective social media platforms. While we don’t have control or authority over user-generated content on social media platforms, we remain vigilant in monitoring content and reporting concerns where possible to address underage use, product misuse, and inappropriate content or claims involving our products. We report instances of inappropriate use or promotion on social media platforms. However, we cannot police the internet.”
A 2023 study by the CDC revealed that 1.5% of middle and high school aged students had used nicotine pouches in the last 30 days, a number that at this point isn’t increasing. Still, another 2023 study found that 21% of underage youth have used oral nicotine products (including Zyn) sometime in their lives.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Zyn and other brands of these nicotine pouches are not safe for teens and young adults. “No tobacco product is safe,” the FDA wrote in a statement. “Young people have a higher risk of becoming addicted to the nicotine in tobacco products than adults because their brains are still developing. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can also disrupt normal brain development.”
Calls for a Ban
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer called on the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission to take action against Zyn’s marketing products and health effects on Wednesday. “Amid federal action against e-cigs and their grip on young people, a quiet and dangerous alternative has emerged and it is called Zyn,” Schumer said in a statement, per USA Today. “I am delivering a new warning to parents because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on teens and use social media to hook them.”
He added, “The amount of nicotine is highly addictive and much more needs to be done to understand and communicate the health risks for young people.”
Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products told USA Today, “The FDA remains concerned about any tobacco product that may appeal to youth. FDA uses a variety of surveillance tools to monitor the evolving tobacco product landscape and to identify emerging threats to public health.”
How to Talk to Your Teen
So what now? How do you talk to your teen about nicotine pouches and — more importantly! — stop them from using the product? The Partnership to End Addiction has several tips, paraphrased below:
Stay up to date on the latest trends in nicotine products, so you know what they look like and how they are used.
Model healthy behavior by not using or condoning the use of any nicotine products.
Have honest, regular conversations about nicotine, other substances, and their health risks.
Convey that you expect them not to use these products and will be monitoring their activities and intervening when necessary, in a health-promoting way.
Be open and let your kids know they can come to you for help if they are struggling and possibly using nicotine or other substances to cope.
Know about the factors that can increase your child’s risk of using nicotine products, such as mental health issues, and address these early with the help of a qualified health professional.
If you suspect your child is using Zyn nicotine pouches or other addictive substances, call the Partnership to End Addiction’s free helpline at 855-378-4373 or visit their website for more resources HERE.
Editor’s Note: This article has been amended to reflect clarifications made by Philip Morris International.
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