“ZYN 10 Challenge”: Illegal marketing of nicotine pouches as smoking cessation aids?

In the United States (U.S.), tobacco products cannot be marketed as being intended to cure or treat disease, such as nicotine dependence, or as a nicotine replacement therapy or smoking cessation aid [1,2]. Nicotine pouches were introduced to the U.S. market in 2014, resemble small teabags, and typically contain a powder or salt made from synthetic nicotine or nicotine derived from tobacco leaves, in addition to binders and flavors. In the U.S., nicotine pouches are regulated as tobacco products. Thus, marketing content claiming that nicotine pouches can be used to quit smoking would be in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [3]. ZYN nicotine pouches, produced by Swedish Match, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International, are currently the most popular nicotine pouches in the U.S. [4]. As of October 2025, 20 ZYN products have received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, no nicotine pouch product has been approved by the FDA as a drug intended for use as a smoking cessation product, which involves a rigorous scientific application process designed to ensure the product’s safety and efficacy [3]. The “ZYN 10 Challenge” marketing campaign sponsored by Swedish Match North America, LLC [5], appears to violate the marketing restrictions outlined in the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The ZYN 10 Challenge encourages people who smoke tobacco products to try ZYN for 10 days to be smoke-free (Figure 1). As described in one ZYN sponsored internet video advertisement [6] displayed on social media sites including YouTube, ZYN allows people to “get away from smoke,” “get away from traditional tobacco,” and “achieve lasting change.” The advertisement further indicates that consumers can enjoy 10 days of no smoke, which are “enough to make it permanent, or your money back.” The advertisement asserts that using ZYN can help people stop smoking and even provides an expected timeline for how long it may take to quit (i.e., 10 days). Furthermore, the advertisement makes claims of ZYN’s effectiveness for smoking cessation by offering a money-back guarantee that using ZYN will stop a consumer from smoking permanently. Another advertisement for the ZYN 10 Challenge [7] encourages consumers to make a “fresh start” and includes images displaying the text “You did it!” in reference to going smoke-free. Yet, tobacco companies cannot legally market tobacco products as intended “for people who wish to quit smoking,” “to wean yourself off of nicotine,” or “to stay quit,” as this would classify them as drugs, devices, or combination products [3,8]. As such, the ZYN 10 Challenge marketing content portraying ZYN as a smoking cessation drug or device in the absence of FDA approval likely violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Figure 1.

Screenshots from “ZYN 10 Challenge” video [6] promoting smoking cessation claims.

Previous research on nicotine pouch marketing content has identified common themes, including that consumers are able to use nicotine pouches anywhere, nicotine pouches can improve social interactions, and people can use nicotine pouches while engaging in work or leisure activities [9,10]. These marketing strategies resemble early electronic cigarette advertisements that emphasized how electronic cigarettes allowed individuals to be smoke-free and provided the ability to self-administer nicotine anywhere. One example of these marketing strategies is the NJOY commercial released in 2013 in which the celebrity Courtney Love responds, “Relax, it’s a fucking NJOY!” when told she cannot smoke while attending an upscale indoor event in a grand ballroom. Electronic cigarettes have also been marketed as smoking cessation aids through categorizations as “smoking cessation” products at online retail websites [11], through encouraging people who smoke to “switch” to JUUL electronic cigarettes[12], and through implicit and explicit smoking cessation claims including using slogans like, “The most successful smoking cessation product anyone has yet invented” (Innokin) or “Let’s obsolete cigarettes” (NJOY) [13]. ZYN marketing borrows a similar product-switching approach and targets those who want to quit smoking. However, without approval from the FDA, it is unlawful in the U.S. for retailers or manufacturers to make therapeutic or medical claims about nicotine pouches helping people quit smoking.

Details from this report suggest that ZYN nicotine pouches are likely being marketed illegally as smoking cessation aids. These marketing practices may deter people who want to quit smoking from using evidence-based, FDA-approved cessation treatments, including nicotine replacement therapy, pharmacotherapy, and behavioral counseling. In fact, the FDA’s 2017 regulatory action in this area sought to eliminate consumer confusion caused by companies inappropriately marketing tobacco products as intended for use in smoking cessation. Moreover, some ZYN marketing tactics actually exploit and fuel nicotine addiction, such as the ZYN rewards program that incentivizes consuming larger amounts of nicotine pouches [14]. As new tobacco products enter the market, surveillance efforts must monitor marketing strategies vigilantly to prevent tactics that may be detrimental to public health.