Senator Charles · Schumer, in a recent warning to parents, described the popular nicotine product Zyn as “problematic packaging” and advocated for the government to investigate the brand’s promotional tactics and impact on well-being.
You may not be familiar with Zyn or its ilk, such as On! , VLO and Rogue) but sales of these smokeless, often smokeless nicotine pouches surged from 126 million in August-December 2019 to more than 808 million between January and March 2022. In 2022, tobacco giant Philip Morris International made a significant investment in Zyn, acquiring its parent company, Swedish Match, as part of its expansion into smoke-free products. Zyn and other oral nicotine products are expected to generate $2 billion in revenue in the United States this year. On social media platforms such as TikTok, the product is favored by so-called “zynfluencers” who record their daily usage, skillfully place the bag on their upper lip before training at school, at work or at the gym, during sports competitions, while participating in video games, and conduct flavor tests with friends.
These pouches provide 3 mg and 6 mg amounts to inject nicotine directly into the bloodstream through the membrane wall of the mouth rather than through the lungs. In many ways, these bags are safer than other nicotine products available because they do not utilize tobacco leaves and therefore contain fewer carcinogens. However, they are not without risks: they can form habits and lead to heart-related problems, gum deterioration, and nausea. Experts have also expressed concerns about how effortlessly they hide and the variety of flavors they offer, such as mint, coffee, and citrus, that make them appealing to children.
These brands “really emphasize flavor, and all bags have a lively monosyllabic name.” It looks like they’re trying to make them more like chewing gum than real nicotine products,” commented Tory Spindle, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“One area of concern we are about the assertion that the product is not conspicuous,” added Meghan Moran, an associate professor in ·the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who is working with Spindle to investigate nicotine pouches. “We are concerned that this may be tempting for young people and we are currently conducting a study to determine if this is indeed the case.
The Hub connects with Spindle to learn more about this emerging form of nicotine.
As a researcher, what initially sparked your interest in nicotine bags?
I have observed many similarities between e-cigarettes and nicotine bags. They seem to come in a variety of flavors that can make them appealing to [young people], but the risk of using nicotine products in young people is that the long-term effects are not known and may also lead to the use of other substances. However, on the other hand, they are undoubtedly safer than current tobacco products.
This is where the public health dilemma lies: how do we ensure that smokers or oral tobacco users (those who dip or chew) have access to them so that they can choose less harmful alternatives, while avoiding inadvertently creating a group of nicotine-addicted people who might otherwise have never tried such products?
When you mention that we haven’t understood the long-term effects of these products, are you referring to tobacco-free nicotine?
These bags contain flavorings and other ingredients that are not traditionally included in nicotine products. So while they lack the typical carcinogens that we know are present in high concentrations in tobacco, we are uncertain about the potential effects of some other substances.
Also, when an individual uses any substance during puberty, their brain is still in the developing stage. The use of nicotine or other addictive substances can affect brain development in ways that are difficult to foresee.
So, how much is currently known about the safety of nicotine pouches?
My research shows that they can cause an immediate negative reaction. Some users have reported feeling nauseous. Others have mentioned mouth sores due to overuse. However, it is undeniable that they contain fewer conventional carcinogens than oral tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco and similar items.
I’ve also seen it promoted as a stimulant that improves mental clarity. Is there any scientific evidence to support this? Studies have shown that nicotine is a stimulant that can enhance cognitive function.
There is some truth to this statement. However, the question arises as to whether young people who would otherwise not use tobacco products should use it for this purpose, rather than another stimulant with a lower potential for abuse and less of a problem, such as caffeine.
Are there significant differences between the various brands in the market?
Not all of them are truly smoke-free. Some contain nicotine extracted from tobacco. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines and other harmful substances are present in trace amounts, but their levels are still much lower than those found in chewed tobacco. There are a few other bags that contain synthetically produced nicotine, which is made in a laboratory and not extracted from tobacco. It may not always be clear from the label whether nicotine is synthetic or not, but this is a subtle distinction that we have observed in our studies.
