Rise of Zyn: USC Study Finds Teens Turning to Nicotine Pouches
Teenagers are shifting away from vaping and increasingly turning to nicotine pouches, especially from brands like Zyn. Their use among U.S. high school students nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024, a recent study led by researchers at USC’s Keck School of Medicine revealed.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, are based on data from a national survey involving over 10,000 tenth and twelfth graders.
Nicotine pouches—small sachets containing nicotine that users tuck between their gums and lips—have rapidly increased in popularity, particularly due to aggressive social media promotion by “Zynfluencers,” who portray pouch use as enhancing confidence, masculinity, and mental clarity.
While nicotine pouch use climbed from 3.0% of teens in 2023 to 5.4% in 2024, vaping saw a slight decline over the same period. E-cigarette use dropped from 20% to 17.6%, yet dual usage—teens who reported using both e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches—increased from 2.1% to 3.6%. Additionally, more students reported lifetime and recent use of nicotine pouches.
The trend has raised significant public health concerns, echoing earlier apprehensions surrounding other tobacco products. Groups, including the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have asked for nicotine pouch legislation.
“This growing public health issue needs more attention. Like flavored e-cigarettes when they first emerged, use of this new oral nicotine product is becoming more widespread, particularly among adolescents,” said study lead author Dae-Hee Han, a postdoctoral researcher in population and public health sciences at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
The demographic patterns for nicotine pouch users mirrored traditional smokeless tobacco users, with higher rates among males, non-Hispanic white teens, and those living in rural areas. According to Han, these distinctions underscore the need for tailored preventive approaches distinct from those used for vaping.
“We’re finding that the risk profile differs quite a bit between nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, which means we need prevention approaches that are targeted for each.”
Health implications of long-term nicotine pouch use remain unclear, though early reports indicate potential risks like addiction, mouth sores, and gum irritation. Moreover, prior studies have demonstrated that adolescent nicotine exposure can negatively impact brain development, particularly affecting learning, memory, and attention capabilities.
“Parents, teachers, and pediatricians should be aware that teen nicotine pouch use is increasing across the nation,” emphasized Adam M. Leventhal, executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science and a study co-author.
Leventhal told Business Insider he had anticipated a rise in the popularity of nicotine pouches, especially with the rapid increase in demand for Zyn products and frequent shortages. Still, the scale and speed of this uptick surprised him.
On platforms like TikTok, “Zyn” is gaining popularity among younger audiences, with users frequently posting about their favorite flavors and demonstrating how to discreetly place pouches, often referred to colloquially as “upper deckies.”
Another unexpected discovery from the study was that teen girls are vaping at higher rates than boys.
“Historically, any kind of substance, you typically see that males have higher-use levels than females. But vaping, it’s appeared to kind of switch over recent years.”
He theorizes that marketing might influence these gender disparities. Initially targeted towards women seeking an alternative to cigarettes, Zyn now markets itself broadly, appealing to diverse demographics, including Wall Street professionals and celebrities like Josh Brolin. Former user Tucker Carlson plans to launch his own nicotine pouch brand, criticizing Zyn as insufficiently masculine. This rebranding could make nicotine pouches particularly appealing to teen boys, according to Leventhal.
Leventhal’s chief concern is that nicotine pouches may expose teens to even higher nicotine doses than e-cigarettes alone. The health risks associated with Zyn include potential gum damage, altered brain chemistry, and increased heart rates. Vaping similarly carries significant health risks comparable to traditional smoking, with both products being highly addictive.
Although some TikTok users claim to use Zyn as a strategy to quit vaping, Leventhal emphasized that this is not an effective solution. Instead, dual usage often occurs, exacerbating overall nicotine exposure. “We don’t want children to use any nicotine products,” he said. “So all nicotine products should be avoided.”
Despite extensive campaigns to educate teens about nicotine’s dangers, their attraction to its effects remains consistent. According to previous studies from Leventhal’s team, adolescents are drawn to nicotine for its mood-enhancing properties, appetite suppression, and metabolism boost.
Leventhal explained that nicotine pouches appeal particularly to teens due to their discreet nature. Unlike vaping, nicotine pouches can be used subtly during classes, in movie theaters, or even around parents, heightening the risk of frequent and unnoticed use.
“To reverse this trend, we need to heighten public awareness about pouches and educate youth about them. Policymakers might also consider ramping up regulation of the booming pouch market—including cinnamon, fruit and other attractive flavors—to protect youth.”
The study also highlighted ongoing regulatory debates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized marketing flavored nicotine pouches like Zyn to adults 21 and over, citing their potential role in helping smokers quit. However, the FDA did not approve these products as formal smoking cessation aids and less than 1% of adults currently use them, prompting concerns over teen appeal.
FDA’s authorization decision partly depended on the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which reported no statistically significant increase in teen pouch use, when asked about usage over the last 30 days, between 2023 and 2024. Yet, both the USC-led research and the FDA’s survey found significant year-over-year increases in lifetime pouch use among teens, suggesting experimentation may be growing.
Moving forward, continued monitoring of nicotine pouch trends, initiation patterns, nicotine content variations, and potential health impacts is vital. Researchers recommend that future studies also assess the effectiveness of regulatory policies, especially for high-risk demographics and dual users of nicotine products.
“Nicotine pouches are relatively new, so we need time to collect data on prevalence, policy and prevention,” Han said.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
