VTA Statement on Schumer Call for Fed Crackdown on Zyn

Published on January 26, 2024

STATEMENT FROM THE VAPOR TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION IN RESPONSE TO SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER’S CALL FOR FEDERAL CRACKDOWN ON ZYN NICOTINE POUCHES

WASHINGTON – January 26, 2024 – The following statement is attributable to Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Association (VTA):

“On Tuesday, January 23, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the marketing practices and health effects of Zyn, the nicotine pouch brand.

“The American people have seen this movie before with less harmful e-cigarettes. Congressional leaders yell at unelected bureaucrats at the FDA who scurry to remove products from the market that offend their sensibilities – even though those products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and have been proven to help people quit smoking deadly cigarettes altogether. These misguided actions deprive American adults of less harmful, non-combustible, and non-tobacco nicotine products that are a proven alternative to combustible cigarettes and that the largest clinical trial in the U.S. has found to cause them to quit smoking even if they have no intention to quit cigarettes.

“There is already a de-facto ban on e-cigarettes. Sen. Schumer simply wants this ban extended to other products he and the Washington establishment deem undesirable.

“As with e-cigarettes, Sen. Schumer falsely asserted that Zyn products are popular with younger users. Yet, the National Youth Tobacco Survey data demonstrates that only 1.5% of youth have even tried nicotine pouches. When will the federal government stop hiding behind an excuse that has been disproven by their own data?

“VTA stands with Zyn, and the makers of modern oral nicotine pouches, in the fight against arbitrary and capricious government action. Because cigarettes remain the No. 1 cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S., VTA insists on broad access to a wide variety of non-combustible products to preserve freedom of choice for adults who want to use nicotine – and to provide access to proven harm-reduction and smoking-cessation options essential for saving American lives.”

Media Contact
press@vaportechnology.org

About VTA

The Vapor Technology Association is the U.S. industry trade association whose members are dedicated to sound science-based regulation and selling innovative high-quality vapor products that provide adult smokers with a better alternative to combustible cigarettes. VTA represents the industry-leading manufacturers of vapor devices, e-liquids, and flavorings, as well as the distributors and retailers, including hardworking American mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar retail store owners.

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