THE AGE OF ZYN

Nicotine pouches are gaining traction with office workers

- PRIYA ANAND

Whenever Mark Moran, chief executive officer of the investor relations firm Equity Animal, is about to perform a boring task, he has a ritual. He pops a Zyn nicotine pouch into his mouth.

Then his concentration sharpens, at least for a while. "Am I addicted to it? Absolutely," he said. "But it's something I very much enjoy."

Zyn, a tiny bag of nicotine that fits under the lip, has become the latest performance-enhancing drug in certain corners of the corporate world. Like Adderall and caffeine before it, nicotine pouches contain a highly addictive stimulant. The products have sparked public health worries, even as they've inspired a fervent devotion among some workers in demanding industries like finance and tech.

"It's almost become ubiquitous with juniors in the finance industry," Moran said. "You're working long hours, you're bored. It's discreet enough that you could have a Zyn in a client meeting. You could be talking to a partner. It's culturally accepted in finance."

Nicotine pouches are having a moment. Philip Morris International Inc. sold 105.4 million tins of Zyn in the U.S. in the third quarter - a 66 per cent jump-boosting its profit outlook for the year. In the first two weeks of January, U.S. sales of smokeless tobacco and nicotine products jumped 12 per cent while cigarette sales sank 10 per cent. The trend is even more dramatic in Sweden. And across social media, hashtags like #Zynbabwe, #Zynladen and #Zynaccino have proliferated.