The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces that the maker of ZYN nicotine pouches may market the products as less harmful to human health than cigarettes. The FDA says it is allowing marketing language that positions the pouches as a lower-risk alternative to smoking, rather than as harmless. The agency also states that it is permitting marketing for 10 flavors of ZYN products. According to the reports, these ZYN products have been authorized for sale in the United States since January 2025. The FDA’s action centers on the agency’s assessment of the evidence and regulatory standards that allow certain reduced-harm marketing claims when backed by the appropriate review process. In this update, the FDA’s decision does not change the fact that nicotine is addictive and that the products are distinct from cigarettes, but it does allow specific claims about comparative harm to be used in marketing. The FDA’s announcement is presented as the first set of such nicotine pouch marketing permissions described in the coverage.