Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products to carry a specific modified-risk 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, and ZYN are authorized for sale in many other parts of the world.

Any product that contains nicotine is not 100% safe – but ZYN and other nicotine pouches are significantly less dangerous to health than combustible cigarettes. Adults who smoke and switch entirely to nicotine pouches can lower their long-term risks and potentially live longer, healthier lives.

Are nicotine products like ZYN safe?

Not entirely. Nicotine is an addictive stimulant and is not risk-free.

Combustible cigarettes deliver nicotine alongside hundreds of harmful chemicals, many of which cause cancer. The harmful chemicals released in combustible tobacco make smoking the leading preventable cause of death worldwide.

Nicotine pouches contain nicotine and flavorings. Global health authorities, including the FDA, have concluded that nicotine pouches are significantly less risky than cigarettes.

What exactly did the FDA authorize?

The approved language is precise:

“Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.”

This is the first time a nicotine pouch has been cleared to use this kind of language—although notably, the language only applies to the 20 pouches listed in the decision.

The FDA had previously authorized Swedish Match’s General-brand snus, which are pouches containing ground tobacco, to use nearly identical wording. Separately, it has also allowed certain heated tobacco products to make narrower claims about reduced exposure to harmful chemicals.