Yesterday, the Trump White House tweeted about Philip Morris International's plan to double its investment in the Colorado Zyn factory in Aurora. The Big Tobacco giant will now shell out $1.2 billion on the site, which will bring 500 direct jobs, 1000 indirect jobs, and around 5,000 construction jobs during buildout.

Of course, because it’s our deranged modern political landscape, predictably everyone has become an expert on the ills of nicotine all of a sudden. Let’s dismantle some of the nonsense I’ve seen.

#1. Construction started in 2024

Firstly, while everyone is getting excited about Trump and MAHA, the plan was first announced in July 2024, during the Biden administration. While Trump will no doubt claim credit for the doubling of investment, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis backed the plans at the time, calling it a major economic win for the area.

#2. Safe and safer are different words

Nicotine is held to an obscenely high standard. This stupidity was in evidence the minute the White House tweeted about the job, and the scolds slithered out of the woodwork to wag their fingers and tell everyone that nicotine pouches aren’t safe.

Poll after poll shows that US citizens overwhelmingly overestimate the harm of pouches, with around 60% believing they are more or as harmful as cigarettes.

It’s hard to know where this myth that people think nicotine pouches are as safe as drinking a glass of water even comes from. At best, it’s a very fringe opinion. People legally consume food, coffee, alcohol, and more, with the understanding that it’s not a kale smoothie. Pouches are the safest way to consume nicotine, which is why the public needs accurate data to make decisions about risk for themselves.

Nicotine pouches and cigarettes balanced on a risk scale.

#3. “ZYN isn’t FDA-approved”

Some of the criticism of the ZYN news involves the claim that these pouches are not FDA-approved. While that is true, it’s also not quite the argument the critics think it is. For starters, FDA approval is designed for products for which the regulatory agency must assess a specific medical or health claim about stuff like human drugs, biologics, and some medical devices. Nicotine pouches are regulated as tobacco products, not as approved medicines. Instead, pouches are handled through the tobacco marketing authorisation pathway rather than drug approval. In January, 20 ZYN products were authorised in this way.

#4. “Nicotine is highly addictive”

If we look at the DSM-5-TR criteria for diagnosing and classifying substance use disorders, it’s clear that nicotine “addiction” doesn’t really fit the bill. Sure, users can experience craving and withdrawal, but it’s not something that heavily impacts life, work, relationships, health, and so on. In a world of heavy exaggeration and dramatic takes, it’s an “addiction”, but for me, dependence is far more accurate. Of course, cigarettes do qualify because they are genuinely destructive.

#5. Stop it with the kids

People are shouting about this news as if RFK has mandated compulsory use of nicotine pouches in schools. While that wouldn’t necessarily be his weirdest policy, it’s also not true. The latest National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that pouch use among high and middle school users is just 1.7% for current use, i.e., more than once per month. It should be noted that tobacco use is far higher, at over 7%.

While it would be far better if youths didn’t use nicotine in any way, anyone who experienced life on planet Earth as a teenager knows that it’s going to happen among some kids. As such, they should have safer options, like pouches, rather than using combustible cigarettes. Also, they are banned for under-18s, so it’s not like the White House is encouraging youth use.

Final thoughts

Modern-day American political discourse is so tiring. Everything has to be put through the pro- or anti-MAGA lens, and it’s destroying objectivity. The new ZYN factory will bring jobs and generate taxes while ensuring that cigarettes, one of the leading causes of preventable deaths, are slowly phased out by safer products. That’s a good thing that should be beyond partisan politics.