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FDA allows Philip Morris to market Zyn as less harmful than cigarettes
Yahoo • • business
Key Points:
- The U.S. FDA has authorized Philip Morris to market 20 variants of its Zyn nicotine pouches as less harmful than cigarettes, citing reduced risks of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
- The agency stated that using Zyn instead of cigarettes would significantly reduce harm to individual users and benefit public health overall.
- Nicotine pouches, placed under the lip for a nicotine buzz, are the fastest-growing nicotine product in the U.S., with Philip Morris selling 794 million cans of Zyn in 2025, more than double its 2023 sales.
- The FDA's decision comes amid ongoing scientific debate over potential risks to new users, including children, and tobacco companies' lobbying efforts for faster, clearer authorization processes.
- Philip Morris CEO Jacek Olczak described recent FDA moves to relax enforcement on vaping and nicotine pouches as a "net positive" that will support growth in the category, despite the company cutting its annual profit forecast twice this year.
