Nicotine patches, like Zyn, are used by 400,000 teens. Here's why some experts say 'it's reasonable to be concerned'

white Zyn nicotine pouches next to round can labeled "Zyn" (Credit: Michael M. Santiago—Getty Images)

Hunter “Ratch” Ratchford is an Alabama college student with 42,000 followers on TikTok. That’s where he posts, pretty much exclusively, about Zyn, a brand of flavored oral nicotine pouches that come in bright round cans and flavors like cool mint, citrus, and cinnamon.

Three years ago, says Ratch, one of his fraternity buddies introduced him to the product. “He said it helped him focus when he was having back-to-back classes, so I tried it,” he says, noting that it helped him too and that he liked the buzz. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”