On January 17, the FDA authorized ZYNs for sale, claiming their benefit to tobacco users outweighed their risk to the public.
As customers move towards smokeless tobacco products, nicotine pouches like ZYN have become popular.
Owner and Operator of Atascadero 76 Station, Scott Rosenfeld, said sales have increased significantly over the last year.
"We've seen them go from almost nothing to almost 50 to 60 percent of our daily sales," Rosenfeld said.
He added that most of their customers fall in the 21-35 age range.
“It does seem like the younger crowd is going for the smokeless options," Rosenfeld said.
Although the FDA allowed ZYNs to be sold and marketed in the US, that doesn't mean these pouches are 'safe'.
The release from the FDA states: "While today’s actions permit these specific tobacco products to be legally marketed in the U.S. to adults 21 and older, it does not mean these tobacco products are safe, nor are they 'FDA approved'.”
Tobacco Control Program Manager for SLO County's Public Health Department, Amy Gilman, explained why these pouches aren't considered 'safe' for users.
“There is no safe tobacco product," Gilman said.
She explained that ZYN cans also contain more nicotine than a pack of cigarettes. Every pack of cigarettes contains 20 milligrams of nicotine, while even the ZYN pouches with the lowest nicotine dose - 3 mg - still contain 45 mg of nicotine per can.
For those who don't use tobacco products before trying ZYNs, this can open the door to nicotine addiction.
"If you're not a tobacco user, it then becomes a gateway to at least nicotine addiction, particularly that high dose. And with a younger brain involved, addiction sets in more quickly," Gilman said.
"Nicotine addiction hinders brain development... It can cause cardiovascular problems, so there is ongoing risk to the use of nicotine, even if it's not in cigarette form."
