June 30 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will allow the maker of ZYN nicotine pouches to advertise some of its products as safer to use than cigarettes.

Swedish Match USA, part of Philip Morris International, is authorized to use the claim that “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis,” the FDA said in a release.

The authorization applies to 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products, all of which the FDA authorized for sale in the United States in January 2025. It is the first time the FDA has granted the use of this claim for nicotine pouches, Philip Morris International said.

“FDA’s review of modified risk products is intended to ensure that adult users have clear, science-based information about the relative harms of tobacco products, so they can make informed choices,” said Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. “Today’s decision allows these products to be marketed with a modified risk claim that informs adults who smoke about the lower risks associated with these products.”

Stacey Kennedy, CEO of Philip Morris International, said that the decision is “an important moment for the more than 45 million legal-age nicotine consumers in America.”

The order includes 10 types of ZYN products at two strengths, 3 milligrams and 6 milligrams. It includes flavors such as menthol, coffee and cinnamon but no fruit flavors.

Nicotine is the substance in cigarettes that makes them addictive. The nicotine pouches have not been OK’d by the FDA as a product used to help quit smoking.