- Zyn shortages have been spotted in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
- Philip Morris International's CFO acknowledged supply chain issues on a recent company call.
Zyn, a popular brand of nicotine pouches, may be harder to find in several states, including New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Some smoke shops in New York said they are out of the pouches, which retail for about $5, and wholesalers in New Jersey and Florida said they've been hard to get, Bloomberg reported. One worker in the industry told the outlet that the shortage has been ongoing for several weeks.
The pouches are produced by Philip Morris International, the tobacco products maker that distributes Marlboro cigarettes outside the US. In an earnings call last month, chief financial officer Emmanuel Babeau said that Zyn's growth "is indeed creating some tensions on the supply chain, without any doubt."
PMI, which bought the company that makes Zyn in 2022, did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Zyn has been available in the US since 2014, but has boomed in popularity recently. The colorful, flavored gum-like pouches have become a common "pick-me-up" among office employees looking to get work done faster. They have also become routine with high-powered Wall Street traders and Republican lawmakers. Loyal users of these pouches have said that Zyn has helped them lose weight, comparing them to the viral weight-loss drug Ozempic.
In February, the company reported that nearly 385 million cans of the flavored nicotine pouches shipped in the US in 2023, up 62% year-over-year. The firm expects to do even better business in 2024, forecasting US shipments of around 520 million cans this year, its February earnings report said.
The company has been pushing to create more smoke-free products, as cigarette smoking declines worldwide.
Medical experts and research studies warn nicotine can be addictive and can have harmful effects on the body, including its cardiovascular and respiratory systems, BI previously reported.
The Food and Drug Administration has been cracking down on underage Zyn sales. Last month, the agency said it sent 119 warning letters to retailers and filed 41 civil complaints for sales of Zyn to underage buyers last year and this year.