Philip Morris International temporarily stopped online sales of Zyn nicotine pouches in the U.S. on Monday, June 17, in response to a legal challenge from the attorney general for the District of Columbia. The halt is part of an investigation into the company’s possible violation of the district’s ban on flavored tobacco products.
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“Zyn is not a sin,” Tucker Carlson said on the “This Weekend w/ Theo Von” podcast.
Zyn is a 100% tobacco-free product that is rapidly gaining popularity as a nicotine alternative. Users place the flavored pouches under the upper lip for an almost immediate nicotine buzz. Each tin contains 15 pouches, and each pouch lasts about 30 minutes.
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The growth of Zyn sparked a culture of “Zynfluencers” who promote the product online.
Over the past year, Zyn’s popularity surged. Philip Morris expects to sell 560 million cans in 2024. That is a 34% increase from the previous year.
The product has also drawn scrutiny. Health experts note that while Zyn might pose fewer risks than traditional smoking methods, it carries similar health implications as other nicotine delivery systems like gums and patches. These risks include dependence and long-term health effects associated with nicotine consumption.
“What we’re seeing is when kids use it, because it has such a high level of nicotine, they get addicted to it really rapidly,” said Bruce Barcello, the director of education and preventions at Soter Technologies.
Analytical chemist Ben Katz analyzed the composition of Zyn pouches and found that nicotine is the primary active ingredient, unlike other similar products that contain tobacco leaf.
“In the data analysis software, we see a series of peaks,” Katz said. “There is a common peak that’s in all of the samples, and it’s the most abundant peak in all the samples that is our nicotine peak. Based on these tests, nicotine is the bioactive molecule in Zyn, and nicotine is the only tobacco-related alkaloid that we can see in this product.”
Philip Morris’ current legal challenge revolves around allegations of non-compliance with local regulations banning flavored tobacco products.
In 2022, the District of Columbia banned the sale of all flavored tobacco, including flavored synthetic nicotine products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently evaluating whether Zyn meets U.S. health standards for legal marketing. As of now, the FDA has not authorized any Zyn products for sale. Despite this, Zyn nicotine pouches are still available for purchase in the U.S.
The pouches can be sold under existing regulations that permit the marketing of tobacco products while they are under review.
[KARAH RUCKER]
PHILIP MORRIS HALTS ONLINE ZYN SALES AMID LEGAL CHALLENGE
A TINY NICOTINE POUCH IS HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ONLINE AND IN THE NATION’S CAPITOL.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ZYN – AND IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IT – LET’S CATCH YOU UP.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, ZYN’S POPULARITY HAS SURGED. PHILIP MORRIS EXPECTS TO SELL 560 MILLION CANS IN 2024 — A 34-PERCENT INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.
BUT THIS WEEK – THE COMPANY WAS FORCED TO PAUSE SALES OF THE PRODUCT ONLINE – AS THEY FACE SIGNIFICANT LEGAL ACTION.
WASHINGTON DC OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING THE COMPANY’S COMPLIANCE WITH A BAN ON THE SALE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO and synthetic nicotine PRODUCTS IN THE DISTRICT.
TUCKER CARLSON
“Zyn is not a sin.”
ZYN ISN’T JUST A HIT PRODUCT – IT’S A TALKER ONLINE.
SPARKING A CULTURE OF ‘ZYNFLUENCERS’ WHO PROMOTE ITS USE.
casanova_k9s
“Read a page out of the books of Barne Zyn Nobles. Oh, yeah a little upper decky. Sweet taste of Zyndaya. You know what I’m saying? I’m on an adventure. Like some Zyneas and Ferb.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
SIMPLY PLACE THE FLAVORED POUCH UNDER YOUR UPPER LIP TO EXPERIENCE AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE NICOTINE BUZZ. IN THE U.S., EACH POUCH CONTAINS UP TO 6 MILLIGRAMS OF NICOTINE.
WHILE THAT IS LESS THAN A TYPICAL CIGARETTE…YOU CAN FIND MANY ONLINE PACKING THEIR LIP WITH POUCHES.
AND IT’S THAT MEGA-DOSING OF NICOTINE THAT’S DRAWING SCRUTINY.
WHILE ZYN MIGHT OFFER A SMOKELESS AND TOBACCO-FREE ALTERNATIVE, HEALTH EXPERTS CAUTION THAT IT STILL POSES SIGNIFICANT RISKS.
ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION — WHILE NICOTINE POUCHES LIKE ZYN AVOID SOME OF THE CARCINOGENS PRESENT IN SMOKED TOBACCO PRODUCTS, THEY STILL DELIVER A HIGHLY ADDICTIVE DOSE OF NICOTINE THAT CAN HARM ADOLESCENT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE THE RISK OF FUTURE ADDICTION.
THE CDC EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT ‘SAFER’ DOES NOT MEAN ‘SAFE.
BRUCE BARCELLO
DIR OF EDUCATION AND PREVENTIONS | SOTER TECHNOLOGIES
“What we’re seeing is when kids use it, because it has such a high level of nicotine, they get addicted to it really rapidly.”
RECENTLY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT GOES INTO A ZYN POUCH –
DR. BEN KATZ
ANALYTICAL CHEMIST | UC IRVINE
Based on these tests, nicotine is the bioactive molecule in ZYN, and nicotine is the only tobacco-related alkaloid that we can see in this product.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
RESEARCH LIKE THIS IS CONTRIBUTING TO A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT SAFETY AND TRANSPARENCY IN NICOTINE PRODUCTS
WHILE THE CURRENT LEGAL CHALLENGE FACING PHILLIP MORRIS REVOLVES AROUND LOCAL REGULATIONS IN WASHINGTON D-C, THE FDA IS REVIEWING ZYN TO DETERMINE IF IT MEETS HEALTH STANDARDS FOR LEGAL MARKETING IN THE U.S.
RIGHT NOW YOU CAN STILL GET ZYN IN STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY.
AND YOU CAN TOO – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP – AND BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS FOR HEALTH TOPICS – SO YOU NEVER MISS AN UPDATE.
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