In providing tobacco cessation counseling, I have been asked frequently about nicotine pouch products like ON!, Zyn, and Velo, which I will refer to in this blog as pouch products. It’s important to distinguish between these pouch products and what we identify as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)/nicotine medications.
The pouch products contain nicotine, not tobacco, held in a small pouch. These products are used similarly to snus, a type of smokeless tobacco pouch that does not produce saliva, making it spit-less. But, unlike snus, the pouch products do not contain leaf tobacco. It might seem that because they do not contain tobacco, they would be ideal for tobacco cessation and many are unsure of how they differ from nicotine replacement products. These products, although seemingly “just nicotine”, contain salts and other added chemicals. The rate and amount of nicotine delivered is similar to conventional smokeless tobacco products according to recent studies. These two factors can make it more difficult to reach the end goal of nicotine and tobacco cessation.
Ultimately, none of these products have been shown to help people stop tobacco and we know little about their safety. They also can be masked by flavors which are particularly dangerous for novice users/juveniles and they are not FDA approved for tobacco cessation. Approved nicotine replacement therapies/medications include patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray and the nicotine inhaler. Scientific evidence indicates that the most successful attempts to quit include both cognitive behavioral therapy and one or more of these approved medications. The key is getting the right combination for you to ensure maximum success!
Molly Leis, MS, LADC, LPCC
NDC Counselor/CTTS
Stanfill, S., Tran, H., Tyx, R., Fernandez, C., Zhu, W., Marynak, K., King, B., Valentín-Blasini, L., Blount, B. C., & Watson, C. (2021). Characterization of total and unprotonated (free) nicotine content of nicotine pouch products. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 23(9), 1590–1596. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntab030
