Flavored nicotine pouches that have been banned for sale in California for nearly four years would return to the state if Republican Steve Hilton wins the governor’s race.
Hilton said he gathered feedback from Californians on what bureaucratic rule they wanted to get rid of the most — with the ban on Zyn and other nicotine pouches at the top of the list.
The candidate unveiled the idea as part of his proposed “Office of Fun and Freedom,” meant to take on the state’s burdensome, big-government, “pointless killjoy rules,” he said.
“There’s no medical reason or health reason why you shouldn’t be able to buy flavored pouches like you can in other states,” Hilton said, noting that the federal Food and Drug Administration has authorized 20 Zyn products for sale, including flavored varieties.
Currently, California prohibits the sale of most flavored nicotine pouches, including Zyn. The state later expanded that ban to include products the provide a “cooling sensation.”
Nicotine is addictive, Hilton’s campaign admitted, but adults should be able to make decisions for themselves.
“It’s actually one of the clearest examples of what happens when government thinks it can control everything, whether it’s controlling flavored Zyns or taking away your tires,” state Assemblymember David Tangipa (R) said at a Hilton press conference in Fresno County Thursday.
In reality, California’s ban may not even be that effective. The manager of the Loma Vista Travel Plaza gas station where Hilton held his event Thursday customers keep asking about flavored Zyn.
“People telling us, we can buy it from other states or online,” the manager said, noting he loses business by not being able to sell the products.
Hilton echoed that point, calling the ban “pointless” and “ridiculous.”
Under the candidate’s plan, the existing age limit and penalties for selling to minors would remain in place. Products that have not been reviewed and authorized by the FDA won’t qualify, and California’s restrictions on flavored cigarettes will stay in place.
Many on social media cheered the idea.
“It makes zero sense we can’t get flavored pouches here. CA allows people to buy weed and shrooms but God forbid you want coffee or wintergreen flavored pouches. It’s ridiculous,” one user said.
Others said they thought the plan could win Hilton more support.
“As a life long progressive Democrat I love this idea,” another user said. “Literally every single person I know that vapes still buys flavored vapes, but they’re getting charged 4x the price by smoke shops. The bans never work. I thought we learned that.”
Public health advocates contend the ban is needed, arguing that flavored nicotine pouches are part of the tobacco industry’s strategy to hook young people.
A ballot measure to uphold the state’s ban on the sale of certain flavored tobacco products was approved with 63.5% of the vote in 2022.
