Exclusive: FDA allows ZYN to sell pouches on health benefits

The Food and Drug Administration will announce today that it will allow Zyn nicotine pouches to be marketed as less harmful to human health than cigarettes.

Why it matters: Though scientists generally agree that the language is accurate and the pouches — which contain nicotine but not tobacco — are a safer option for smokers, critics worry about the appeal to young people.

Driving the news: The FDA will allow 20 Zyn products to be marketed with the claim that "using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis."

That's a win for Philip Morris International, the parent company of Zyn manufacturer Swedish Match, which has previously argued that adult smokers need accurate information about the relative risks of different products.

FDA scientists said the ""the totality of the evidence" supports the marketing claim during a public meeting in January, the AP reported.

What they're saying: "FDA's review of modified risk products is intended to ensure that adult users have clear, science-based information about the relative harms of tobacco products, so they can make informed choices," Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.

"Today's decision allows these products to be marketed with a modified risk claim that informs adults who smoke about the lower risks associated with these products."

The big picture: Zyn pouches have become enormously popular within President Trump's orbit and the MAGA movement, and users include Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the WSJ has reported.

Scientists remain concerned about their cardiovascular effects, and critics have argued most users of the pouches aren't former smokers.

The bottom line: The decision signals that the FDA views the products as having real harm-reduction value, despite critics' concerns.