The US FDA Has Approved The Listing Of 20 Nicotine Pouch Products For The First Time: More Healthy Than Cigarettes

ZYN is a nicotine pouch brand launched by Swedish Match Company. In 2022, Philip Morris International acquired Swedish Match for a whopping 16 billion US dollars. The core reason for this acquisition was the recognition of the growth potential of nicotine pouch products. Thanks to the popularity of ZYN nicotine pouch products, the stock price of Philip Morris International has risen by 27.84% over the past year.

According to the list released by the FDA, the nicotine pouch products approved this time are as follows (each type has 3 mg and 6 mg nicotine concentration, totaling 20 types): ZYN Chill, ZYN Cinnamon, ZYN Citrus, ZYN Coffee, ZYN Cool Mint, ZYN Menthol, ZYN Peppermint, ZYN Smooth, ZYN Spearmint and ZYN Wintergreen.

Among several key considerations, the FDA's assessment results indicate that due to the significantly lower harmful component content of these 20 nicotine pouch products compared to cigarettes and most smokeless tobacco products (such as wet snuff and snuff), these nicotine pouch products pose a lower risk of cancer and other serious health problems than the latter.
The PMTA applicants also provided evidence from a study which shows that a considerable portion of adults who used cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products eventually completely switched to these newly authorized nicotine pouch products.

Dr. Matthew Farrelly, the Director of the Scientific Office of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said: "To obtain marketing approval, the FDA must have sufficient evidence to prove that the new product offers more benefits to public health than risks. In this case, the data show that these nicotine pouch products meet this standard. They benefit adults who use cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products and completely switch to these products."
Although the above nicotine pouch products have received marketing approval and are allowed to be legally sold in the United States to adults aged 21 and above, the FDA emphasizes that this does not mean these tobacco products are safe. There are no completely safe tobacco products. Teenagers and non-smokers should not use tobacco products.
Dr. Brian King, the Director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said: "Manufacturers must sell these products responsibly to prevent teenagers from using them. Although current data show that the usage rate among teenagers is still very low, the FDA will continue to closely monitor the market and strive to take appropriate actions to protect public health to the greatest extent."

The approval of the 20 ZYN nicotine pouches this time is an important step for the FDA to standardize the management of this industry. It also indicates that the FDA recognizes the harm reduction characteristics of these products, providing key reference value for the regulation of such products in other countries.