People are often warned not to smoke or vape because research shows it’s bad for their lungs and can become addictive, but companies have found new ways to peddle nicotine – the most popular product currently is the nicotine pouch. According to the American Lung Association, over a quarter of individuals who currently use nicotine pouches are 18 to 20 years old. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that can affect brain development in adolescents and young adults. These pouches are commonly used among under-age students because they are extremely discrete and easily evade the naive eye – small, smokeless, spitless, and ordorless.
ZYN, the leading nicotine pouch brand in the United States whose name has become synonymous with the product, sells small pouches filled with nicotine salts – a synthetic chemical created by combining freebase nicotine with an acid. In 2022, a study found that 26 of 44 nicotine pouch products tested contained cancer-causing chemicals as well as ammonia, chromium, and formaldehyde among others. These pouches are placed along the gum line and then absorbed into the bloodstream. They can stay in the mouth for up to an hour. Afterwards, they are disposed of.
According to a survey conducted at Ohio State University, only 25% of adults can recognize oral nicotine pouches. Because they are hard to recognize, underage users can utilize these products without parents or other adults noticing. Given that nicotine pouches are sold online, it makes it more accessible for underage buyers. Purchasers under the age of 21 can use parent or other legal-age person’s identification to buy the pouches.
Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance that users can become reliant on. The CDC conducted a report in which they found that more than 22% of nicotine pouch users claim they use them on a daily basis. Addictiveness is a major risk when using nicotine because when users become addicted to the pouches they may be more likely to use vapes or cigarettes in the future. Nicotine addiction can also cause or escalate anxiety and depression.
People begin using these pouches and continue reaching back to them because they are a stimulant. ZYN pouches and nicotine can be used to ease tension or stress, and create a ‘buzz’ and sense of alertness that keeps people going back.
ZYNs, and the concept of nicotine pouches, are relatively new, first introduced to the U.S. market in 2016. Because of their novelty, the long-term health effects are yet to be known. What is known is that nicotine can affect brain development. According to Ryan Marino, professor and psychiatrist at Case Western Reserve University, “Nicotine use in adolescents, particularly chronic or heavy use, can have effects on brain development and lead to long-term disabilities and other health issues.” Nicotine’s adverse effects on the brain can harm adolescents who are carelessly using it.
Pouches can contain as low as one and a half milligrams and as high as 16 milligrams, and according to the American Dental Association, cigarettes have 10 to 12 milligrams of nicotine but only one to two milligrams are inhaled. The average pouch contains six milligrams of nicotine and the average consumer uses 8 to 12 pouches daily. While that may not seem like a lot, consuming 10, six milligram pouches would be the equivalent of one to one and a half packs of cigarettes.
When looking at a one and a half milligram pouch and a 16 milligram pouch, an individual cannot tell the difference. This adds to the dangers of the product by not being able to distinguish between the levels of strength when pouches are outside of the packaging. Due to the fact that ZYNs are placed along the gums, it can lead to receding gums and possible gum disease.
Although ZYNs can be seen as a positive stimulant and increase alertness for adults, the underage use of ZYNs can be detrimental to the development of adolescents’ brains and cause addictions that can become nearly impossible to get rid of.
