Nicotine pouches can be marketed as 'lower risk' than cigarettes. Is that dangerous?

The FDA allowed some Zyn nicotine pouches to be marketed as "lower risk" than cigarettes. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

It comes in flavors like "Cool Mint," "Smooth," and "Chill." It's on the Ferrari F1 race car. And it's addictive.

A paperclip-sized pouch filled with bleach-white fibers and nicotine crystals placed between the lip and gum, leeches nicotine and other chemicals into the user's bloodstream — allowing anyone to use nicotine discreetly.

One of the most popular brands of nicotine pouches, Zyn, got a boost from the Food and Drug Administration recently. The FDA authorized the company to advertise: "Using Zyn instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis."

Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a press release that the decision "is intended to ensure that adult users have clear, science-based information about the relative harms of tobacco products, so they can make informed choices."

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Some public health researchers say that Zyn is a safer alternative to cigarettes and it can help curb the 480,000 or more U.S. deaths attributable to tobacco each year. But others also say it can be a gateway to riskier nicotine habits like smoking and hook people in adolescence.

Nicotine is a drug extracted from the tobacco plant, though some companies use lab-made nicotine in their products.