An article summarized by CNBC:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized Zyn, owned by Philip Morris International, to market 20 nicotine pouch products as presenting a lower health risk than cigarettes. The decision allows Zyn to advertise that smokers who completely switch from cigarettes to Zyn may reduce their risk of diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and mouth cancer. However, the FDA emphasized that Zyn is not considered safe and that people who do not already use tobacco products, especially young people, should not start using nicotine pouches.
The ruling is a significant win for Philip Morris as cigarette sales continue to decline and tobacco companies shift toward smoke-free nicotine products. While the FDA had previously authorized these Zyn products for sale in 2025, the new decision goes further by allowing the company to make explicit modified-risk health claims. Zyn, which contains nicotine but no tobacco leaf, has become one of the fastest-growing products in the nicotine market and is marketed as an alternative to smoking and chewing tobacco.
The decision also reflects a broader shift in federal nicotine policy under President Donald Trump's administration, which has taken a more industry-friendly approach toward vaping and nicotine alternatives after previously supporting stricter regulations. Nicotine pouches have also become popular among some conservatives and figures in Trump's circle, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while media personality Tucker Carlson has helped popularize the products before later launching his own competing nicotine pouch brand.
