Do you know what Zyn is? Have you heard of the “upper-decky lip pillow? If you have tween or teen children or grandchildren, hang on because you need to be in the know. Zyn is the smokeless alternative to vapes, and vapes was the less-noticeable form of smoking cigarettes.
Zyn is a nicotine pouch that is placed under your lip like chewing tobacco or tobacco dip. It is less visible than vapes because there are no cartridges or battery pens, and certainly inconspicuous next to cigarettes and smoke.
Zyn comes in 2 strengths: 3- and 6-milligram pouches. The nicotine ingredient is very addictive – especially for young tweens.
First-time users often vomit or pass out when experimenting with the 6 milligram pouches. Zyn is packaged in tins that contain 16 little white rectangles – AKA lip cushions. Dentists have reported gum injuries and concerns about the toxic chemicals in the pouches that can cause periodontal and gum disease in patients who use Zyn. They are known to increase heart rate and blood pressure. The nicotine can also negatively affects kids’ mental health.
At first, they may feel a sense of relaxation that is short lived and followed up with a spike in edginess and anxiety that ultimately causes a vicious cycle of needing relaxation to offset their anxiety. And because Zyn is highly addictive, it adds another layer of mental agitation.
Still this is such a new craze that there hasn’t been enough time to understand all of the risks associated with these little nicotine pouches.
Phillip Morris International purchased Swedish Match (the Zyn-brand manufacturer) in early 2023 (barely a year ago) and they expect to make $2 billion by end of 2024. Rogue, Lix, and Velo are also popular Zyn alternatives.
The many companies that produce nicotine pouches are hoping to hook young kids on their brands so they’ll have customers for life. Instead of big billboards, magazine ads, or TV commercials, these manufacturers advertise on social media targeting specific age groups.
They also use influencers who are like the popular kids that most kids want to follow. Known as Zynfluencers, they send powerful messages using TikTok videos to young kids about how cool it is to Zyn and how much fun it is to have that little blast of energy.
Unlike smoking cigarettes where parents can smell the smoke or vaping where parents find vape pens and other paraphernalia, Zyn is almost undetectable. Students Zyn in class and at home.
Most teachers and parents don’t know about Zyn so students are gravitating to it. Since 2014, Zyn has been increasing in popularity and many consider it the new vape.
Even the most concerned parents face daunting odds of positively influencing their children about Zyn. Advertisers and Zynfluencers are on youth social media feeds brainwashing them for hours each day. Parents don’t see the same ads or TikTok videos because marketing companies create algorhythms to target this young demographic.
It’s not like it was when I was a kid. Back then, parents saw the same ads and commercials that the kids saw, and they could restrict what their children read and TV shows they watched. We read real books and magazines (paper), and we all watched the same shows and movies on our one TV set in the house. Most kids today are on their smartphones or tablets for hours without parental oversight.
Parents, you need to understand Zyn. Frame the truth about how Zyn negatively affects your children’s health before they get pulled into Zyn with friends. Be proactive and open the discussion.
By framing the idea that Zyn nicotine pouches are a marketing ploy to make young kids addicted for life, you may have a chance to ward off the inevitable dilemma in the first place.
Parents, you have the right to check your children’s smartphones, tablets and backpacks. Limit screen time to one hour per night so they choose how they want to spend that precious hour. Talk to them about ads, influencers, and other bombardment of information. Parents, you have an important role to play as your child’s chief advocate. Open the discussion and be involved in every aspect of your child’s life because you are fighting an invisible enemy in a cyber-battleground that can infiltrate your child’s mind and behavior.
Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy is the founder of Merit Academy (one-on-one classes) and Merit Educational Consultants (college and educational advisory). She has written books on projects, free child care, education, and parenting. Susan hosts TEDxMeritAcademy for students to present their innovative projects and solutions. In 2019, she was California Mother of the Year.
meritworld.com
