Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is calling for a crackdown on Zyn nicotine pouches, sparking a feverish backlash from Republicans who say it is an example of nanny-state governance.
Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, said Zyn is a “pouch packed with problems — high levels of nicotine.”
“I’m delivering a warning to parents because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids, teenagers and even lower, and then use the social media to hook them,” Mr. Schumer said at a press conference.
He urged the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate how the products are marketed.
Mr. Schumer issued his warning Sunday, but the message blew up by midweek, with young fans of the product saying the senator kicked a hornet’s nest by targeting the popular item, which delivers a straight hit of extracted nicotine but does not include tobacco.
Republicans saw a political opportunity.
“Come and take it, Chuck,” Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, posted on X.
Other Republican lawmakers said congressional leaders should be focused on securing the border and stopping fentanyl.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee piled on, pointing to President Biden’s parallel proposal to ban menthol cigarettes.
“The nanny state is alive and well with today’s Democrat Party,” it wrote on social media.
Critics of Zyn say it can get young people hooked on nicotine and serve as a gateway to cigarettes and vaping. Others, however, say Zyn can help people wean off more harmful products, such as cigarettes.
Philip Morris International stressed this aspect when it announced in 2022 that it had purchased a 93% stake in Swedish Match, which makes Zyn.
“PMI and Swedish Match share a mutual vision of a smoke-free world, and a firm commitment to developing, scientifically substantiating, and responsibly commercializing smoke-free products that are a better alternative to cigarettes,” the company said.
The Washington Times reached out to PMI for comment on Mr. Schumer’s call for a crackdown.