Latest news with #Zyns
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors sound alarm over surge in teens hooked on 'Gen Z's favorite weight loss fix'
A record number of American teenagers are hooked on Zyn nicotine pouches, new data shows. In 2023, just three percent admitted to using the pouches, which are loved by young people for their appetite-suppressing effects. But by 2024, within just one year, this number had rocketed to 5.4 percent — an 80 percent leap. 'This growing public health issue needs more attention,' said Dr Dae-Hee Han, a public health scientist from California who led the research. 'Parents, teachers and pediatricians should be aware that teen nicotine pouch use is increasing across the nation,' Dr Adam Leventhal, also a public health scientist involved in the study, added. Users credit Zyns with a myriad of health benefits, from more confidence to better sexual performance and even weight loss, with some dubbing it 'O-Zyn-pic'. But the pouches also have a number of negative health effects, including nicotine addiction, sores emerging in the mouth and gums. They have previously been linked to heart trouble in teenagers. Some researchers have also linked their use during adolescence to harm to brain development and problems with learning, memory and attention. Nicotine pouches are small, white pouches inserted between the lips and the gums, where they release nicotine into the bloodstream over the course of about an hour. Nicotine suppresses appetite by activating specific receptors in the brain that tell the body it is not hungry, even when it may not be. This mechanism is thought to be related to the 'fight or flight' response, where the body prioritizes energy conservation during stressful situations. The trend was revealed in a study published in JAMA Network Open, and based on data from the Monitoring the Future survey — an annual survey launched in 1975 that asks students about their substance use. The study analyzed data from 10,000 survey participants in the 12th grade — aged 18 years — and 10th grade — aged 15 to 16 years. The team also found that more teenagers reported using nicotine pouches in the past 30 days and past 12 months, as well as using both pouches and e-cigarettes, compared to 2023. A total of 2.6 percent of teens said they now use them every day, compared to 1.3 percent in the previous year. And 4.6 percent admitted to using them at least once in the past 12 months, compared to 2.4 percent saying this in 2023. The use of vapes declined among teens over the same period, the survey showed. In 2023, 20 percent of teenagers admitted in the survey that they vaped, but by 2024 this had dropped to 17.6 percent — down by 13 percent. The number reporting using both e-cigarettes and pouches increased from 2.1 percent to 3.6 percent over the same period. Overall, teenagers who were male, white and living in a rural area were found to be more likely to be using nicotine pouches than their counterparts. Dr Leventhal urged: 'To reverse this trend, we need to heighten public awareness about pouches and educate youth about them. 'Policymakers might also consider ramping up regulation of the booming pouch market — including cinnamon, fruit and other attractive flavors — to protect youth.' The scientists were from the Keck School of Medicine, at the University of Southern California, primarily located in Los Angeles. Nicotine pouches are often sold in a variety of flavors to appeal to youth, just like electronic vapes have been to also get teenagers hooked. Zyn and other nicotine pouches are typically sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops around the country - in most places one could find tobacco products. A pack of 15 pouches sells for $5-$10 and are sold in two different strengths of nicotine: 3 milligrams and 6mg. Nicotine pouches have been available in the US for at least a decade, and are sometimes marketed as being less dangerous than other nicotine products. FDA officials say they contain fewer harmful ingredients than cigarettes and other types of chewing tobacco including snuff — dry powder inhaled through the nose — which are linked to cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Regulators have also found that a 'substantial portion' of adults who previously smoked switched completely to nicotine pouches. Several celebrities have been pictured using nicotine pouches like Zyn, likely boosting their popularity. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said in October 2022 that he enjoyed Zyn and the product could work as a 'male enhancer,' though there is no evidence of this. Carlson has since said this comment was a joke. He has now started his own brand of nicotine pouches called Alp. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was reprimanded by the NFL for putting a Zyn in his mouth while on the sidelines of a game. Actor Josh Brolin has shared he's so addicted to an unspecified brand of nicotine pouches he sleeps with them in his mouth.
USA Today
28-02-2025
- Health
- USA Today
What are the 'nicotine hiccups' and why do they happen?
What are the 'nicotine hiccups' and why do they happen? Show Caption Hide Caption Warning about Zyn nicotine pouches Zyn nicotine pouches are being called "gas station Ozempic.". But using these nicotine pouches can be addictive and possibly hazardous to your health. Fox - 5 Atlanta "Nicotine hiccups" sound made up. But experts say they're a real phenomenon. Recent data on drug side effects found that nicotine was associated with the hiccups, according to a 2021 study looking at the Food and Drug Administration's adverse-event reporting system (FAERS). And anecdotal evidence shows many nicotine users can relate, said Melissa Little, director of the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. On TikTok, Reddit and elsewhere online, Zyn users and people who vape are comparing notes on their "niccups." "Why do Zyns and nicotine pouches give me hiccups every time?" TikTok user @callmecarolyn asked her followers, before cutting to a scene of her hiccuping in bed. Well, here's why. More: FDA seeks to limit nicotine in cigarettes, most cigars. Vapes and Zyn are excluded. Nicotine acts by binding to receptors in the brain and nervous system, Little said. When these receptors are activated, they release neurotransmitters throughout the body. One of these neurotransmitters, called dopamine, plays a role in regulating the phrenic nerve, which controls breathing in the diaphragm. 'Instead of them doing what they usually do, they get a little messed up and get activated in certain ways,' Little said. 'And that can induce hiccups.' Nicotine can also irritate the mucus membrane that aligns the throat and esophagus, which can lead to hiccups, she said. It can also stimulate stomach acid production and can cause reflux, triggering more hiccups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nicotine is a highly addictive substance found in tobacco products, such as cigarettes, and nicotine replacement therapies, like nicotine gum. Tobacco use among middle and high school students has decreased from 2023 to 2024, predominately due to a decline in e-cigarette use, according to the 2024 Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey. However, nicotine pouch use saw a slight uptick from 1.5% in 2023 to 1.8% in 2024. Sales also increased from 126 million pouches in August 2019 to 808 million in March 2022, according to the CDC. Nicotine pouches, sometimes referred to as 'lip pillow' or 'upper decker,' are placed between the lip and gum, according to the American Lung Association. They're similar to snus, which are oral pouches containing shredded tobacco leaf, except nicotine pouches contain nicotine powder. They come in several flavors and are available at different nicotine strengths. Zyn is the only brand of nicotine pouches that has received marketing authorization for many of its products for consumers 21 and older. The agency said in a statement that Zyn products pose a lower risk of cancer and other serious health conditions than cigarettes and most smokeless tobacco products due to substantially lower amounts of harmful constituents. Nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, the CDC said. Contributing: Reuters. Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@
