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The global conversation around smoking is changing. For decades, public health messaging has focused on the dangers of combustible cigarettes – and with good reason. It is the burning of tobacco that produces the thousands of chemicals responsible for smoking-related disease. But as regulation tightens and science evolves, a new discussion has entered the wellness space: can nicotine exist outside of combustion?
This question sits at the heart of Philip Morris International’s (PMI) transformation, and the rise of products like ZYN. They are paving the way towards a smoke-free future where smokers are now offered healthier alternatives to cigarettes, understanding that most do not want to quit nicotine altogether.
PMI’s history spans more than 175 years and is deeply rooted in the traditional tobacco industry. Today, however, the company publicly states that its long-term ambition is to move away from cigarettes.
As Nikolaus Ricketts, President of Oral Products Director at PMI, explained: “Our ambition is clear: to accelerate the end of smoking.”
That shift is not merely rhetorical. PMI has invested heavily in research and development focused on smoke-free alternatives – including heated tobacco products and oral nicotine pouches like ZYN.
The distinction is significant: these products do not involve combustion. And in tobacco science, combustion is the core problem.
Nicotine itself is addictive. That point is not debated. Ricketts stated clearly: “The nicotine we use is addictive and is intended for an adult audience.” Furthermore, addiction remains a critical public health consideration, and nicotine products are not risk-free.
However, according to established scientific consensus, nicotine itself is not classified as a carcinogen according to the World Health Organisation and other independent studies by German entities and PMI’s internal R&D team. Therefore, the primary cause of smoking-related cancers is the inhalation of toxic by-products created when tobacco burns. In other words, it is the burning of nicotine – not the nicotine alone – that drives the most severe disease outcomes.
This distinction underpins the harm-reduction argument advanced by companies like PMI: if nicotine can be delivered without combustion, exposure to many harmful chemicals associated with smoking can be reduced.
That does not make nicotine pouches harmless. But it does change the risk profile compared to combustible cigarettes. Furthermore, the amount of nicotine in the pouches adheres to a strict limit, so there is no cause for concern where gum disease or degradation is concerned.
Ricketts explains: “I hear there’s a concern about gum disease from oral nicotine products in many different parts of the world. But the data around it is very weak and very anecdotal. That’s the first thing. Secondly, the level of nicotine in the products is also something we want to limit. We have a clear guideline internally, that the highest level of nicotine we will go is 16.5 milligrams, and that is based on a safety study that was done by German authorities many years ago. Some competitors go higher, and some irresponsible products go as high as 50 milligrams. I cannot speak for those. But ZYN will not cause any damage to your gums.”
PMI acquired Swedish Match in 2022 for $16 billion which is what led to the creation of ZYN Nicotine Pouches. As Ricketts explains, “nicotine pouches are small little bags that look a bit like mini teabags that you slip under the lip. They have pharma-grade nicotine and food-grade ingredients which you basically absorb through the gum. It contains nicotine but no tobacco and produces no smoke or vapour.”
The product’s development sits within PMI’s broader strategy to diversify away from cigarettes and offer alternatives for legal-age nicotine users who would otherwise continue smoking.
Research and product development now focus on toxicology, aerosol chemistry, behavioural science and long-term population health modelling. While independent public health experts continue to debate the role of alternative nicotine products in society, PMI’s direction is clear: reduce reliance on combustible tobacco.
From cigarettes to pouches.
From smoke to smokeless.
From combustion to chemistry.
A smoker can stop smoking cigarettes, but they might not want to. PMI wants to give those individuals a smarter choice, one that is healthier than their current position – and that choice is called ZYN.
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