ZYN Nicotine Pouches Available Nationwide on April 1

Swedish Match was very cautious when it entered the tobacco-free nicotine pouch market back in 2014.  It started with a limited number of test cities where ZYN was well received.  Swedish Match then expanded over-the-counter (OTC) ZYN sales to the western half of the United States and 13,000+ stores.  ZYN was successful there too.

On April 1st 2019, Swedish Match will announce that ZYN will be available OTC across the entire United States.

What is ZYN and Why should I care?

ZYN Nicotine Pouches (also known as Nicotine Pods) are a fresh way to enjoy nicotine. They’re tobacco-free, smoke-free, and spit-free. ZYN is currently available in six flavors and two nicotine strengths.

The biggest difference between ZYN and the Swedish snus Swedish Match is famous for is the tobacco-free part.  There is no tobacco in ZYN at all.  The nicotine salt used is derived from tobacco but once separated out, has no tobacco characteristics at all.

ZYN nicotine pouches do have one thing in common with tobacco products; they are for adults only.  If you are not legally of age to purchase cigarettes in your state, then ZYN is off the table for you.

Comparing ZYN to General Snus which Swedish Match also sells OTC nationwide, don’t expect any tobacco flavor or character in ZYN.  On the flip side, the flavors are very good and ZYN is an all-white product inside and out.  It will not stain your teeth as tobacco snus can if you’re not a regular brusher.

If you are a chain-snuser as I am, you will also not experience tobacco breath by the end of the day

ZYN comes in 6 flavors in the US:  Wintergreen, Spearmint, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Coffee, and Cool Mint.

Each flavor is available in two nicotine strengths:  3mg and 6mg.

Each US can contains 15 mini pouches, each weighing 0.4 grams.

Different ZYN flavors are sold in Sweden which also requires a minimum of 20 portion pouches per can of snus. I suspect that applies to nicotine pods too as other brands of all-white nicotine pouches sold in Sweden suddenly contain 20 pouches per can.   If you ever by chance travel to Sweden, remember this and take advantage of it.

Getting back to why should you care about ZYN, for cigarette smokers or those looking to stop using tobacco products altogether, the flavors are very tasty and the nicotine is sufficient to replace that you are accustom to from cigarettes.  I wish Swedish Match would make a coffee and cinnamon flavored tobacco snus based on the ZYN flavor profiles; they taste great!

I originally only used tobacco-free nicotine pouches at night while falling asleep…I meant it when I said I chain-snus!  The advantage here is that there is no chance of tobacco stains on the pillow.  The nicotine is also sufficiently lower than my favorite snuses allowing my chain-snusing gums to get some relief from the burn of high nicotine snus.

Now I find myself using products like ZYN nicotine pouches during the day when my gums are tired or I just need a palate-cleanser.  I doubt I’ll ever stop using tobacco snus but now that I can buy ZYN in Texas as of today, I have a feeling I’ll be using a lot more…especially the coffee and cinnamon flavored ones!

LARRY WATERS

Swedish Snus Ambassador to the United States
Reporting for SnusCENTRAL.org