Nicotine pouches touted as 'Gen Z's favorite accidental weight loss drug' gets FDA approval
Zyn nicotine pouches loved by young people for their appetite-suppressing effects have officially been approved in the US.
The FDA said it found the pouches were a safer alternative to cigarettes and could help wean smokers off traditional tobacco products after conducting an 'extensive scientific review'.
The agency gave the green light for 10 flavors to continue being sold in the US, including coffee, cinnamon and menthol.
But while they have only formally been authorized today, young people have been hooked on Zyns for years, claiming hey have a myriad of benefits, including boosting their workouts, keeping them awake and even improving their sexual performance.
Some have even credited Zyns with helping them lose weight, likening them to a budget Ozempic and giving them the nickname 'O-Zyn-pic'.
The pouches are inserted between the lips and the gums where they release nicotine into the bloodstream over the course of about an hour.
Nicotine suppresses appetite by activating specific receptors in the brain that tell the body it is not hungry, even when it may not be.
This mechanism is thought to be related to the 'fight or flight' response, where the body prioritizes energy conservation during stressful situations.
The Zyn pouches look like tiny tea bags filled with nicotine. Placed discretely between your lip and gum, the nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream (stock image)
Tucker Carlson slips a Zyn into his mouth at the Republican National Convention last July
The move today marked the first time regulators have authorized sales of nicotine pouches, which are the fastest-growing segment of the US tobacco market.
Shares for Philip Morris International, the New York-based tobacco company which makes them, were up 1 percent following the announcement.
The pouches have been available for more than a decade as FDA reviewed company data intended to show the products can serve as an alternative to cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products.
The decision doesn't mean that Zyn is safe, just less harmful than older alternatives.
To remain on the market, companies generally must show that their products will reduce disease among adult tobacco users without attracting teens and adolescents.
FDA officials said Thursday that Zyn contains fewer harmful ingredients than cigarettes and various types of chewing tobacco, including snuff, which are linked to cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Company data also showed 'a substantial portion of adults' who previously smoked switched completely to Zyn, regulators said.
While there are many different brands of nicotine pouches, Zyn is among the most popular and is often seen in the hands of celebrities.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said in October 2022 that he enjoyed Zyn and the product could work as a 'male enhancer,' though there is no evidence of this. Carlson has since said this comment was a joke.
He has now started his own brand of nicotine pouches called Alp.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was reprimanded by the NFL for putting a Zyn in his mouth while on the sidelines of a game.
Actor Josh Brolin has shared he's so addicted to an unspecified brand of nicotine pouches he sleeps with them in his mouth.
Zyn is sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops around the country - in most places one could find tobacco products.
A pack of 15 pouches sells for $5-$10 and are sold in two different strengths of nicotine: 3 milligrams and 6mg.
One Instagram user who runs a popular golf page said in a video: 'The other thing that they don't tell you is you'll lose so much weight just replacing Zyn with any hunger. 'Your boy's down like 30 pounds in a month. O-Zyn-pic. It works'
The FDA has previously granted similar authorization to several brands of e-cigarettes and snus, a type of pasteurized tobacco that is popular in Scandinavian counties.
Unlike snus, Zyn and other nicotine pouches don't contain tobacco, only nicotine and flavoring, which is thought to make them less harmful.
For decades, tobacco companies have tried to develop alternative products to replace dwindling sales of cigarettes, as smoking levels in the US and worldwide continue to fall.
E-cigarettes became popular more than a decade ago, but faced a backlash after they triggered a multiyear spike in underage vaping and were inked to other health problems.
In recent months, antismoking groups have warned that nicotine pouches could follow a similar path, pointing to videos of young people popping Zyn and other pouches that have racked up millions of views on social media platforms.
A TikToker also said 'You end up losing 30 to 50 pounds within three months' in a video captioned 'How I went from 190 lbs to 140 lbs in less than a year'
Following Thursday's announcement, advocates quickly criticized the FDA for permitting sales of flavors like citrus, peppermint and wintergreen.
'The FDA should not be authorizing the sale of any flavored tobacco products given the tobacco industry's well-documented history of using flavored products to appeal to and addict kids,' said Yolonda Richardson, of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement.
The FDA pointed to government survey data showing fewer than 2 percent of American high school and middle school students used nicotine pouches last year.
Supporters of the pouches have noted that Zyn works the same way as nicotine gum, lozenges and other older smoking-cessation products: releasing low levels of nicotine that are absorbed into the gums, reducing cravings.
Debate surrounding Zyn spilled over into politics last year, pitting Democrats and Republicans against each other in another skirmish in the nation's culture war.
In late January, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer, of New York, called on regulators to investigate Zyn, citing its appeal to teens. Several House Republicans then warned constituents that 'Big Brother' intended to 'ban nicotine.' Tucker Carlson and other conservative commentators are among the public figures who have embraced Zyn.
Philip Morris has stated it does not employ online influencers or endorsements to promote Zyn, which is marketed in the U.S. by its Swedish Match unit. The product competes with similar ones from competitors, including Altria's On pouches.