Philip Morris International, which owns the manufacturer of the tobaccoless nicotine pouch Zyn, has spoken out against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) call to crack down on the popular product.
“Philip Morris International and its affiliates — including Swedish Match, the manufacturer of ZYN — fully meet and exceed the regulations governing the industry,” a spokesperson for the tobacco industry giant told the Washington Examiner.
The statement comes as a response to Schumer’s calls earlier in the week for the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to look into the marketing tactics for the nicotine chew pouch.
Schumer alleged on Monday that Zyn is a “pouch full of problems” and that the company sets “their sights on young kids” and uses “the social media to hook them” on nicotine.
The spokesperson for Philip Morris told the Washington Examiner that its marketing practices are “focused on preventing underage access and set the benchmark for the industry.” The company also strictly prohibits the use of social media influencers, according to the spokesperson.
Schumer’s call has received significant backlash on social media from his conservative colleagues, including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
Tuberville and others compared Schumer’s stance on Zyn with an insufficient federal response to the fentanyl crisis, saying that the lethal opioid has a greater impact on youth than nicotine.
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A recent study from the FDA found that approximately 2.8 million youth below 18 utilize tobacco products. Tobacco use among high school students decreased from 16.5% in 2022 to only 12.6% in 2023. Use among middle school students, however, increased from 4.5% to 6.6% between 2022 and 2023.
Only 2.7% of students across age brackets reported using nicotine pouches or other oral nicotine products, such as nicotine gum. Nearly 8% reported using electronic cigarettes.