Zyn pouches recalled, not authorized for sale in Canada

Containers of Zyn, a Phillip Morris smokeless nicotine pouch, is stacked for sale at a newsstand Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in New York. (Bebeto Matthews / The Associated Press)

The government of Canada has issued a recall for Zyn Nicotine Pouches, popular products marketed as alternatives to smoking, which it says are not authorized for sale in the country.

The recall affects retailers carrying a variety of flavours, including Apple Mint, Black Cherry, Citrus, Cool Mint, Original, Espresso, Spearmint, and Bellini -- apparently named after the Italian cocktail.

Most of those flavoured pouches are infused with three milligrams of nicotine each. The spearmint flavour has 1.5 milligrams. Cigarettes generally contain between six and 12.6 milligrams of nicotine each, according to Nicorette.

Nicotine pouches made headlines earlier this year when officials and parents voiced concerns that the flavours appeal to youth, with B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix noting the classification of smoking cessation products means that minors can often buy them legally.

During a press conference earlier this year, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a "warning to parents, because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids – teenagers, and even lower – and then use the social media to hook them."'

A Phillip Morris spokesperson responded, saying Zyn's marketing was "strictly" directed at people aged 21 and older.

Users commonly consume the product by placing a pouch under their lip and leaving it there for several minutes.

Zyn is authorized for sale in the United States. In February, maker Philip Morris announced it had shipped about 350 million packages of Zyn in 2023 -- a 62 per cent rise over the previous year.