Doctors Warn About Zyn, Your Favorite Celebrity’s Nicotine of Choice

People fill their refrigerators with it, stack it four feet high, and even sleep with it in their mouths. It’s the Internet’s newest obsession: Zyn.

Zyn, sold in small pods, is a brand name for the synthetic nicotine product that dominates the market. It is similar to chewing tobacco, although it does not contain tobacco, as users place it between their lips and gums to get the nicotine hit and get a high.

The product is marketed as a way to wean people off tobacco, but a new generation of consumers is cutting out the middleman and diving straight into Zyn—and quickly becoming addicted.

According to the American Lung Association, sales of nicotine pods of all brands grew 641 percent between 2019 and 2022, a trend that shows “alarming rates of nicotine use among youth.”

Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a warning against the products, saying Zyn was being marketed to teenagers through social media, attracting children at an early age – similar to what vaping and e-cigarettes have been accused of doing.

However, regardless of a person’s age, the products come with risks, including tooth decay, heart problems and addiction.

And Dr. Stacy Silvey, an internist and preventative medicine doctor in Alabama, told DailyMail.com that Zyns are not FDA approved, meaning they may contain “impurities or unsafe additives.”

While there are many different brands of nicotine pouches, Zyn is one of the most popular and is often seen in the hands of celebrities.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson stated in October 2022 that he liked Zyn and that the product may work as a “male enhancer”, although there is no evidence for this. Carlson subsequently stated that the comment was a joke.

Now he has publicly spoken out against the company and launched his own brand of nicotine pouches called Alp.

The NFL has reprimanded Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Baker Mayfield for putting Zyn in his mouth while on the sidelines.

Actor Josh Brolin said he is so addicted to nicotine pods of an unknown brand that he sleeps with them in his mouth.

Zyn is sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and tobacco shops across the country—most places where tobacco products can be found.

A 15-pack sells for about $5, although the price varies by location and retailer.

According to their website, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase Zyn.

The company said: “We take the issue of underage use very seriously, which is why we require all new visitors to undergo a strict age verification process before entering our site. If you don’t currently use nicotine, ZYN is not for you.”

While Zyn has emerged as the leading brand, others include Sesh, Black Buffalo and Carlson’s Alp.

According to a study from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, about three percent of American adults reported using nicotine pods in 2024, which equates to approximately 7.5 million people.

Each pouch contains crystallized nicotine and is placed between the gums and lip. Within about 30 minutes, the nicotine dissolves and passes through the tissues of the mouth, entering the bloodstream.

It can cause tingling, energy, and dizziness, which users say helps them increase alertness and heart rate. However, for other users, strong nicotine exposure can cause gum irritation, dizziness, and vomiting.

Zyn sells packages ranging from 1.5 to nine milligrams of nicotine per pouch. The average cigarette contains 10 to 12 mg of nicotine, but only a fraction of this amount is inhaled—about 1 to 2 mg per cigarette.

However, in a smokeless tobacco product, all the nicotine is delivered from the product directly into the body, which means it may be too much for some people to consume.

Dr Sivley said: “Zine in particular provides higher concentrations of nicotine than most other nicotine products. This increases the risk of physical and mental dependence.”

Unlike snuff or sauce, users do not need to spit when using the product, and it produces no odor or smoke, making it a more discreet option than traditional products.

However, some studies have shown that tobacco-free products contain the same chemicals as cigarettes.

A 2022 study by Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, which tested 44 different nicotine pods from 20 unnamed companies, found that nearly 60 percent of them contained cancer-causing chemicals called tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

These include ammonia, chromium and formaldehyde, a chemical used in embalming fluids.

These are the same chemicals that make cigarettes and other tobacco products carcinogenic.

So, although Zyn itself does not contain tobacco, it can be made from the same substances.

Dr David Hendricks, associate medical director at Mountainside Treatment Centre, told DailyMail.com: “Although the risks associated with Zyn pods promoting oral cancer remain unclear, older nicotine products have been identified as a risk of cancer.”

Experts say long-term studies are needed before they can conclude whether there are any long-term health effects from the bags.

However, doctors are aware of some short-term harms, Dr. Hendricks said.

These include oral health problems such as mouth ulcers, gum irritation, inflammation and decreased saliva, which can lead to tooth decay. In addition, many people experience nausea, vomiting, and mouth ulcers.

Additionally, Dr. Mike McGrath, a board-certified psychiatrist and chief clinical officer, told DailyMail.com that these products can be dangerous for people with cardiovascular or other cardiovascular conditions because they increase blood pressure and heart rate.

However, Dr. Silvey noted that these packages may be one reason for the decline in tobacco consumption overall.

Gallup polls in 2024 found that cigarette smoking hit an 80-year low that year, with just 11 percent of U.S. adults smoking cigarettes.

However, Zyn is not regulated by the FDA as a nicotine replacement product, so it is difficult to know how many people use it or how many containers are purchased.

This also means that while the products are not illegal, they are not tested for safety before hitting the shelves.

Dr Sylvie said: “Zine and other nicotine alternative products sometimes fall into a regulatory gray area with limited oversight.”

She concluded: “So, while I think we have made progress in reducing the harm associated with traditional tobacco products, the risks associated with trendy nicotine alternatives such as Zyn should not be ignored.”