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FDA authorizes maker of ZYN nicotine pouches to market product as safer than cigarettes
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June 30, 2026, 2:08 PM EDT / UpdatedJune 30, 2026, 6:58 PM EDT
The maker of ZYN nicotine pouches can tell consumers its products are safer to use than cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.
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The agency has authorized Swedish Match USA, which is part of Philip Morris International, to say that 20 of its ZYN products “put you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis” than cigarettes.
It’s long been clear that burning tobacco in cigarettes is toxic and can cause cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Nicotine is the substance in cigarettes that makes them so addictive.
Nicotine pouches — which users tuck between their lip and gum — can contain as much as 6 milligrams of nicotine. They are not approved by the FDA as nicotine replacement products used to help quit smoking.
Dr. Pamela Ling, director of the University of California San Francisco’s Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said ZYN’s higher nicotine levels are concerning.
“As your brain is exposed to nicotine, you produce more and more nicotine receptors, so over time the need for more nicotine just to feel normal increases,” she said. “Nicotine addiction is not trivial.”
Tuesday’s action by the FDA applies to select ZYN flavors, such as Cool Mint, Citrus, Coffee and Cinnamon, in both 3-milligram and 6-milligram strengths.
Nicorette gum, which is approved as a therapy to help people quit smoking, contains 2 to 4 milligrams of nicotine.
One small but important outcome of the FDA’s action would be if an adult smoker were to use the information to switch entirely to the pouches, said Dr. Adam Goldstein, director of Tobacco Intervention Programs at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
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“But you have to have complete switching, and that’s something that we haven’t seen,” he said. “The majority of people using oral nicotine products are not using them to quit combustible cigarettes. They’re using them to supplement them on airplanes or in restaurants or other indoor spaces.”
Fruity flavors known to be favored among kids, such as Black Cherry and Peach, are not included.
Last week, the FDA’s annual National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 1.7% of middle and high school students reported using nicotine pouches in 2025, with more than 1 in 6 of those kids saying they used them every day. ZYN was the most popular nicotine pouch brand reported.
Mike Seilback, assistant vice president of nationwide advocacy and state public policy at the American Lung Association, called the move “appalling.”
“The Lung Association calls on the FDA to reverse this action,” Seilback said in an emailed statement. “We must protect our children from a lifelong addition to nicotine.”
The FDA’s authorization requires Swedish Match USA to study how its customers perceive risks associated with their products for the next five years. It also stipulates that if the FDA sees evidence of a significant increase in kids using the products, the agency could reverse course.
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Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."
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