People fill fridges with it, stack it four feet tall and even sleep with it in their mouth. It’s the internet’s newest obsession: Zyn.
Sold in small pouches, Zyn is the brand name for a synthetic nicotine product that’s dominating the market. It is similar to chewing tobacco, though it doesn’t contain tobacco, in that users place it between their lips and gums to get a nicotine fix and light high.
The product is sold as a way to get people off tobacco, but a new generation of users are skipping the middle man and diving straight into Zyn – and quickly becoming addicted.
According to the American Lung Association, there has been a 641 percent increase in sales of nicotine pouches of all brands between 2019 and 2022 – a trend which shows an ‘alarming rate of youth use.’
Earlier this year Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a warning against the products, claiming Zyn is marketed to teenagers through social media, getting kids hooked young – similar to what vapes and e-cigarettes have been accused of.
However, no matter a person’s age, the products come with risks, including tooth decay, heart problems and addiction.
And Dr Stacy Sylvie, an internist and preventative medicine physician based in Alabama told DailyMail.com Zyn’s are not FDA approved, which means they may contain ‘contaminants or unsafe additives.’
Zyns contain a crystallized nicotine powder, which when placed in the mouth, gets absorbed into the blood stream
Tucker Carlson used to be an enthusiastic promoter of Zyn nicotine pouches. He is seen with one at the Republican National Convention in July
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 publicly come out against the company and 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 around $5, though the price varies based on location and vendor.
According to their website, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase Zyn.
The company said: ‘We take the issue of underage usage extremely seriously, which is why we require all new visitors to go through a strict age verification process before entering our website. If you do not currently use nicotine, ZYN is not for you.’
Online, users share videos of them creating what appear to be nearly four foot tall towers out of the empty cannisters. There are also videos of people filling whole fridges with the containers
While Zyn has become the leading brand, others include Sesh, Black Buffalo and Carlson’s Alp.
About three percent of American adults reported having used a nicotine pouch in a 2024 – according to a study from USC Keck School of Medicine – representing roughly 7.5million people.
Each pouch contains crystallized nicotine and is placed between your gums and lip. Over about 30 minutes, the nicotine dissolves and is passed through the tissue of the mouth, entering the blood stream.
This can cause tingling, energy and a head high, which users have described as helping them have increased attention and heart rate. However, in other users, the potent hit of nicotine can cause gum irritation, dizziness and vomiting.
Zyn sells packs ranging from 1.5 mg to nine mg of nicotine per pouch. An average cigarette contains 10 to 12 mg of nicotine, but only a fraction of that gets inhaled – accounting for about 1 mg to 2 mg per cigarette.
In a smokeless tobacco product, however, all the nicotine is delivered from the product directly into the body, which means it may be overwhelming for some people.
Baker Mayfield appeared to put one of these pouches in his mouth while on the sidelines of an October 2024 regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens
Dr Syvlie said: ‘Zyn, in particular, delivers higher concentrations of nicotine compared to most other nicotine products. This amplifies the risk of physical and mental dependence.’
Unlike snuff or dip, users don’t have to spit when using the product, and it doesn’t produce an odor or smoke, making it a more discreet option than traditional products.
Still, some research has found the tobaccoless products contain some of the same chemicals found in cigarettes.
A 2022 study from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, which tested 44 different nicotine pouch products from 20 unnamed companies, found nearly 60 percent contained cancer-causing chemicals called tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
This includes ammonia, chromium and formaldehyde – the chemical used in embalming fluids.
These are the same chemicals that make cigarettes and other tobacco products carcinogenic.
So even though Zyn doesn’t contain tobacco itself, it may be made from some of the same substances.
Dr David Hendricks, the assistant medical director at Mountainside Treatment Center told DailyMail.com: ‘While the risks of Zyn pouches specifically contributing to oral cancer remain unclear, older nicotine products have been identified as a cancer risks.’
Josh Brolin said that he used to use nicotine lozenges for his fix, but switched to nicotine pouches. He sometimes sleeps with the products in, and said it’s so second nature for him that his wife has seen him place one in his mouth while he’s asleep
Experts say long term studies are needed before they can conclude if there are any lasting health impacts from the pouches.
Doctors do know about some of the short term harms, however, Dr Hendricks said.
These include problems with oral health, like mouth sores, gum irritation, inflammation, and reduced saliva – which can lead to tooth decay. Also, many people experience nausea, vomit and mouth ulcers.
Also, Dr Mike McGrath, a certified psychiatrist and chief clinical officer told DailyMail.com these products can be dangerous for people with heart or other cardiovascular conditions since they raise blood pressure and heart rate.
However, Dr Sylvie noted these pouches could be part of the reasons that tobacco use on the whole has been decreasing.
Gallup polls in 2024 found cigarette smoking hit an 80-year low this year – with just 11 percent of US adults smoking cigarettes.
However, Zyn isn’t regulated by the FDA as a nicotine replacement product, so it is difficult to know how many people use it and how many containers are bought.
This also means while the products aren’t illegal, they aren’t reviewed for safety before they’re put on shelves.
Dr Sylvie said: ‘Zyn and other alternative nicotine products sometimes fall into a regulatory gray area with limited oversight.’
She concluded: ‘So, while I think we’ve made progress in terms of reducing the harms associated with traditional tobacco products, risks of the trendy nicotine alternatives like Zyn shouldn’t be ignored.’
