Zyn (stylized in all caps) is a brand of nicotine pouches, produced by Swedish Match, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International.[1] Zyn pouches are designed to be placed between the gum and upper lip for nicotine to be absorbed through the bloodstream and are available in several variants with different nicotine salt strengths and flavours. While considered a kind of snus, nicotine pouches do not contain any tobacco,[2] but remain addictive due to their nicotine content.
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| Product type | Nicotine pouches |
|---|---|
| Owner | Swedish Match |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 2014 |
| Markets |
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| Tagline | Find your ZYN |
| Website | www |
Zyn is mainly distributed in the United States, where it represented more than 60% of the industry in 2022, but it is also available in Scandinavia, the UK and other parts of Europe.
History
editZyn pouches were first introduced in 2014 in the United States.[3] From 2017 to 2019 one of Swedish Match's US plants, located in Owensboro, Kentucky, was expanded to handle the manufacturing of Zyn pouches directly in the US.[4][5] The works required an investment of $115 million and the new plant opened in May 2019.[6] By the end of 2020, they were available in about 100,000 stores in the United States.[7] Zyn pouches are also distributed in other countries, such as Sweden,[4] Switzerland,[8] and the UK.[9]
Sales of Zyn pouches have grown rapidly and have contributed to a significant increase in Swedish Match's revenues from 2020 onwards.[10][11] Although tobacco companies entered the nicotine pouch category around the same time, Swedish Match reached a 67% market share in the US at the beginning of 2023.[12][13] According to a study focusing on the four main brands available in the US between September 2019 and March 2022, Zyn's sales increased from around 20 million pouches per month in the last quarter of 2019 to more than 140 million pouches per month in the first quarter of 2022.[14] The company reported sales reaching 261 million pouches at the beginning of 2023.[13]
In November 2022, Swedish Match was acquired by Philip Morris International.[1] Zyn has been identified among the strategic brands acquired by the tobacco giant to achieve its vision of a "smoke-free future", alongside the company's existing portfolio of Iqos and Veev vaping products.[12]
Design
editZyn pouches are sold in round cans (resembling those traditionally used for smokeless tobacco products like snus and dipping tobacco) containing 15 or 20 pouches depending on the market. These cans are available with different levels of nicotine strength (such as 3 or 6 milligrams per pouch in the US) and different flavored and unflavored varieties.[4]
The pouches contain nicotine extracted from tobacco leaves, together with food grade ingredients.[15] The pouches themselves are made of plant fibers, which allow the nicotine to diffuse out of the pouch when moistened.[16] They are designed to be placed between the user's upper lip and gum, or between the gum and cheek, and used for around 30 minutes.[17]
Criticism
editConsumption of nicotine pouches result in levels of nicotine in the blood that are similar to those from cigarettes.[18] Various tobacco-control advocates allege that the pouches constitute gateway products for youth; eventually leading to the consumption of traditional cigarettes or other tobacco containing products.[19]
In 2021, Swedish Match was criticized in the UK for its Zyn marketing on social media, including presenting its nicotine pouches as a supplement to regular smoking in places where smoking is banned, with the slogan "Can't smoke? Can't vape? Can Zyn".[9][20] In 2024, further criticism emerged regarding Zyn's rewards program. The program, which allows users to accumulate points for purchases and redeem them for prizes,[21] was characterized by The Guardian author Alaina Demopoulos as incentivizing nicotine use, with the article headline stating "Use nicotine, win an iPad!"[22]
Nicotine pouches are addictive and the long-term health effects remain unknown due to the lack of history for the recreational use of non-tobacco snus. However, while not carcinogenic, nicotine is a vasoconstrictor that moderately harms cardiovascular health, which can cause higher risks for cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and reproductive harm if used over long-term periods.[23][24][25] Among side effects associated with the consumption of nicotine pouches, users reported gum irritation, hiccups or nausea.[26]
References
edit- ^ a b Marie Mannes (2022-11-28). "Philip Morris to de-list Swedish Match after raising stake to 93%". Reuters.
- ^ Organization, World Health (2023-08-23). WHO study group on tobacco product regulation. Report on the scientific basis of tobacco product regulation: ninth report of a WHO study group. World Health Organization. ISBN 978-92-4-007941-0.
- ^ Anna Ringstrom (2021-04-30). "Swedish Match steps up ZYN nicotine pouch marketing after Q1 profit beat". Reuters.
- ^ a b c John Reid Blackwell (2019-03-27). "Swedish Match starting nationwide rollout of tobacco-free nicotine pouch product". Richmond.com.
- ^ "Swedish Match to invest $41 million in Owensboro operation creating 36 jobs". Lane Report. 2017-08-31.
- ^ Ashley Sorce (2019-05-14). "Swedish Match cuts ribbon on $115 million expansion of Owensboro-exclusive product line". Owensboro Times.
- ^ Dermot Davitt (2021-11-18). "Swedish Match targets growth for nicotine pouch brand ZYN in Middle East". The Moodie Davitt Report.
- ^ Sarah Serafini (2022-05-13). "Snus ist in aller Munde – jetzt springt Philip Morris auf den Trend auf". watson.ch (in German).
- ^ a b Rob Davies (2021-11-08). "Firms under fire for using UK influencers to push nicotine products". The Guardian.
- ^ "Swedish Match profit rise beats forecasts helped by ZYf sales". Reuters. 2020-07-17.
- ^ "Swedish Match continues to see strong smoke-free sales growth". Reuters. 2022-10-28.
- ^ a b "Philip Morris wins Elliott's backing for $15.7bn Swedish Match takeover". Financial Times. 2022-11-06.
- ^ a b Pat Crawley (2023-03-06). "Philip Morris: Steady Dividends With New Growth Levers". MarketBeat.
- ^ "Nicotine Pouch Sales Rising; Products with Highest Concentration Levels also Increasing, New Study Shows". American Cancer Society. 2022-11-16.
- ^ Rich Duprey (2019-08-26). "This Under-the-Radar Smoking Alternative Could Be Bigger Than E-Cigs". Yahoo Finance.
- ^ Clément Perruche (2022-05-09). "Tabac : Philip Morris sur le point de racheter le suédois Swedish Match AB". Les Echos (in French).
- ^ Diane Caruana (2022-05-19). "ZYN Launches Tobacco Flavoured Nicotine Pouches". Vaping Post.
- ^ "Health risk assessment of nicotine pouches" (PDF). Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Nicotine Pouches". Tobacco Tactics. 2022-12-19.
- ^ Dasha Afanasieva (2023-04-15). "Big Tobacco Pushes Nicotine Pouches as Vaping Hit by Curbs". Bloomberg.
- ^ "ZYN Rewards Program: Prizes, How It Works, Maximum Points | Prime® Nic Pouches". www.primenicpouches.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ Demopoulos, Alaina (2024-05-20). "Use nicotine, win an iPad! Zyn's viral rewards program fuels addiction fears". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ Whitehead, Anna K.; Erwin, Abigail P.; Yue, Xinping (April 2021). "Nicotine and Vascular Dysfunction". Acta Physiologica (Oxford, England). 231 (4): e13631. doi:10.1111/apha.13631. ISSN 1748-1708. PMC 8026694. PMID 33595878.
- ^ Avenue, 677 Huntington; Boston; Ma 02115 (2024-04-16). "Zyn pouches safer than smoking, but still pose risks". News. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Are Oral Nicotine Pouches Safe? | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health". publichealth.jhu.edu. 2024-04-24. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ^ "Nicotine pouches: Are they safer than chewing, smoking or vaping?". University of Nebraska.