FDA lets Philip Morris market Zyn nicotine pouches as less harmful than cigarettes

In this photo illustration, ZYN nicotine cases are seen on a table on January 29, 2024 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday cleared Philip Morris -owned Zyn nicotine pouches to be marketed as less harmful than cigarettes, giving the tobacco giant a major regulatory win as the Trump administration loosens restrictions on nicotine products. The decision, first reported by Axios , allows 20 Zyn products to carry a modified-risk claim saying that switching from cigarettes to Zyn lowers the risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Zyn pouches contain nicotine but not tobacco. They are placed between a user's gum and lip and have surged in popularity among conservatives, tech workers and others who promote them as a cleaner alternative to cigarettes and chewing tobacco or a productivity aid. The FDA decision does not mean Zyn is safe. The agency has said there is no safe tobacco product, that youth should not use tobacco products and that adults who do not use tobacco products should not start. Still, the order gives Philip Morris a powerful health-related claim for one of the fastest-growing products in the nicotine market , as cigarette sales continue to decline in the U.S. and major tobacco companies invest more heavily in smoke-free products. …