There was JUUL. Now there is ZYN. Big Tobacco is continuing to make its business model addiction, and its customer base teens and young adults. In today’s episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks with Dr. Robert Jackler, an expert on how Big Tobacco targets teens with slick and deceptive advertising and misleading products. Dr. Jackler, a professor at Stanford, talks about ZYN, the small flavored nicotine pouches that are going viral on social media. Created as a so-called safer means of harm reduction for vapes and cigarettes, ZYN packs a powerful punch of nicotine, making them just as harmful. Dr. Jackler, who conducted research on pouch nicotine for the World Health Organization, shares how ZYN is being deceptively marketed to teens, how they lead to nicotine addiction, and what parents and teens can do to help those who are hooked. This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Featured Expert
Research References
Stanford Research into The Impact of Tobacco Advertising
Additional Links
UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
Truth Initiative: This Is Quitting
Time Code
00:00 The Rise of Nicotine Addiction
00:28 Introduction to the Screenagers Podcast
00:45 Expert Insights with Dr. Robert Jackler
01:10 The Dangers of Nicotine Pouches
03:07 Tobacco Industry Tactics
06:16 Marketing Strategies Targeting Teens
09:14 Flavors and Their Appeal
14:16 Quitting Nicotine: Strategies and Support
17:42 Conclusion and Resources
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