As FDA approves new marketing for nicotine pouches, some doctors sound alarms

Key Points:

• The U.S. FDA authorized marketing of four new flavored nicotine pouch products from the "on!" brand, increasing the total recently approved flavored nicotine pouches to 30, amid concerns about their appeal to youth.
• Nicotine pouches, produced by subsidiaries of Philip Morris International and Altria Group, are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. tobacco market, with sales increasing 250% from January 2023 to August 2025.
• Health experts warn that flavored nicotine pouches pose risks of addiction, especially for nicotine-naive youth, and may cause oral and cardiovascular health issues, while calling for more research on long-term effects.
• The FDA's "Modified Risk Tobacco Product" designation for some products like ZYN is based on evidence that they may reduce harm compared to cigarettes, but the agency emphasizes no tobacco product is safe and will monitor youth usage closely.
• Despite legal age restrictions, nearly 460,000 U.S. middle and high school students reported using nicotine pouches last year, making them the second most popular tobacco product among youth after e-cigarettes.