The impending disposable vape ban may make it harder for nicotine-addicted Brits to access there favourite hit – however, the rise of Zyn may be providing an enticing alternative
Disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK this summer and Gen Z are scrambling to replace their favourite fix. Now Zyn, a product promising a faster ‘buzz’, and a surrounding black market, may be providing an attractive alternative.
Coming into force on June 1, the sale of all single use vape products will be banned in the UK. This applies to both online and in person retailers and to all disposable vapes – regardless of whether they contain nicotine or not. According to the UK .gov website, the act has been put in place to cut down on litter and the waste of critical resources. But one group is being disproportionately affected: and that’s Gen Z.
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According to research by University of College London, almost a third of 18-24-year-olds say they use e-cigarettes, like disposable vapes have – a number that has drastically increased from just 9% in May 2021. This also correlates with a mass flooding in the market of single-use vape products, like Mary Janes and Elf Bar.
Theoretically, the upcoming ban will make it harder for them to access their favourite fruit-flavoured nicotine hit. But for those seeking a buzz, there is a new product already seeping into the market – ‘zyn’.
But what is it? It’s a Swedish nicotine pouch, designed to be placed under a user’s lip and against their gum. The idea is that it allows nicotine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the soft mucous membranes of the mouth. It also gives you a much stronger hit.
Where the average vape will allow about 20 mg of nicotine to be absorbed, ‘zyn’ can range from 6 mg to 20 mg. However, some products contain as much as 50 mg – five times stronger than a cigarette. The nature of its absorption also means it will deliver nicotine to your blood system faster.
Based on a market report, 92 million of these nicotine pouches were sold in the UK in 2022, with sales increasing by a further 55% in 2023. You can pick them up at supermarkets like Sainsbury’s or order them from online retailers.
The fact that they’re discrete, easy to find and provide a strong hit could make them a viable replacement for Gen Z nicotine addicts. Last year, 23-year-old YouTuber Emma Chamberlain – known for her relatable vlog-style content – went viral for posting a picture using the product.
More recently, 26-year-old LA influencer Tana Mongeau – who has a global TikTok following of 8.7 million – opened up about her struggles with nicotine addiction. “I cannot get myself to go cold turkey with this s–t,” she said. One of the top-liked comments said “girl get on them zyns”.
However, as some comments pointed out, nicotine pouches can be equally as dangerous and potentially even more addictive. People might think they’re a safer option to smoking since they don’t contain tobacco. However, as Dr Donna Shelley, professor and vice dean for research at the New York University School of Global Public Health, told NBC News, they aren’t necessarily safe.
Dr Shelley said: “Some of the negative health effects of the nicotine pouches include gastrointestinal symptoms, like nausea, gum soreness and ulcers, and also some cardiovascular risks like elevated heart rate.” She added, “We don’t know the full safety profile yet.”
Plus, there is an even darker side. A significant portion of nicotine pouches being sold are unregulated, with no laws in place to stop them from being bought by children.
According to a BBC report earlier this year, there has been a rise in the amount of illegal nicotine pouches being sold in the UK. They found that Trading Standards teams in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Dorset made more than 1,500 seizures in the past year. The Oxfordshire team also told the BBC that it was seeing a “significant growth” in illegal pouches containing potentially dangerous levels of nicotine.