Zyn pouches safer than smoking, but still pose risks
April 16, 2024 – Zyn pouches—nicotine pouches that people use by placing them in their mouths— may help adult smokers quit, but they could also unintentionally encourage young people to start using a nicotine product, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Vaughan Rees.
In an April 10 USA Today article, Rees, senior lecturer on social and behavioral sciences and director of the Center for Global Tobacco Control, said that products like Zyn may be appealing to young people because they are less dangerous than smoking—but that doesn’t mean they’re risk-free.
“Zyn presents significantly lower health risks than smoking, because it does not contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxic substances found in cigarette smoke,” Rees said. “So Zyn may offer adult smokers who have not been able to quit smoking a way to reduce their exposure to the toxic chemicals that cause disease, including cancer.”
But the nicotine in Zyn pouches is highly addictive and it may increase cardiovascular disease risk in people not already using nicotine products, Rees said. “Teens and young adults who do not smoke or vape should avoid this product,” he said.
Rees also spoke about Zyn pouches in an April 11 interview on Fox26 Houston.
Read the USA Today article: Are Zyn pouches bad for you? What experts want you to know
Watch the Fox26 Houston interview: Zyn pouches come under scrutiny
Photo: iStock/elbold
