According to a recent report by CNBC, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated that the increasing popularity of the nicotine pouch product "Zyn" is helping more Americans quit smoking.
Gottlieb served as the 23rd Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from May 2017 to April 2019. In an interview with CNBC, he said, "If we can get more addicted adult smokers to switch to these lower-risk alternative products that don't involve burning and producing harmful substances, we can achieve significant public health benefits."
He stated that although nicotine is not entirely safe, it is not the main factor in causing death and disease in tobacco smoke.
He also proposed that the topic of harm reduction should be reopened, arguing that products like nicotine pouches, which do not involve combustion or smoke, are a beneficial alternative compared to combustible tobacco products that cause disease and death.
Gottlieb stated that 28 million people still smoke in the United States. "Despite a recent decline in smoking rates, the pace of reduction has slowed. We aim to further decrease the number of smokers by promoting products with lower risks for smokers," he said.
University of Ottawa law professor and harm reduction advocate David Sweanor has confirmed that many smokers have switched from traditional tobacco to harm reduction products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches.
The rapid rise and popularity of Zyn nicotine pouches in the United States can largely be attributed to social media, sparking regulatory discussions among Americans about these products.
Gottlieb believes that these products should be sold as aids to help smokers transition, but the key is proper regulation. He thinks that social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Tiktok, etc. should take more measures to further intervene in inappropriate advertising within the market.
"Currently, there are 600,000 pending product applications at the FDA. I believe that priority should be given to approving tobacco products with lower risks to ensure proper market positioning," he said.
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