No product that contains nicotine is 100% safe, including nicotine pouches. Nicotine is an addictive stimulant. However, nicotine pouches are less risky to health than combustible cigarettes, which contain nicotine and hundreds of harmful chemicals—including many that cause cancer.
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products to carry a specific claim: that switching from cigarettes to ZYN lowers the risk of several smoking-related diseases. ZYN had already been authorized for sale in the U.S. since January 2025.
This new claim applies only to these 20 named ZYN products, not to other ZYN products not included in the authorization.
This is the first time a nicotine pouch has been granted clearance to use this kind of marketing language. Previously, the FDA authorized Swedish Match’s General-brand snus (pouches that contain ground tobacco) to use nearly identical language, and has separately allowed certain heated tobacco products to make related, but narrower, claims about reduced exposure to harmful chemicals.
Specifically, the FDA said that ZYN can include marketing that says: “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.”
What is in a nicotine pouch?
Nicotine pouches contain nicotine, the addictive stimulant in tobacco, along with flavorings. They do not contain many of the harmful byproducts found in cigarette smoke, which remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide.
Global health authorities including the FDA have concluded that nicotine pouches, which do not contain tobacco, are significantly less risky than cigarettes. However, this does not mean that they are completely safe or risk-free.
Are Zyn or other nicotine pouches addictive?
Because nicotine pouches contain nicotine, they are addictive. As a result, they are not suitable for youth or those who have never used nicotine products.
However, if an adult who smokes switches entirely to using nicotine pouches or other less-risky forms of nicotine like e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products, they can significantly lower their long-term health risks. This is called “tobacco harm reduction.” It is a life-saving public health strategy for those who cannot or will not quit smoking using traditional methods, like nicotine replacement therapies or certain pharmaceutical interventions.
The bottom line:
There is enough scientific data present for the FDA to allow ZYN nicotine pouches to include claims that they can lower the risks of several specific diseases for a person who smokes and switches entirely. Global health authorities, including the FDA, agree that authorized nicotine pouches in general are less harmful than combustible cigarettes.
ZYN and other nicotine pouches are not safe or entirely risk-free; they are addictive. But they can be a form of tobacco harm reduction for adults who cannot or will not quit smoking otherwise.
If you have additional questions about nicotine, please see our Get The Facts page.
If you are a reporter with the media with additional questions about the ZYN authorization, please contact Katherine Ellen Foley, Senior Director, Communications.
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