This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.
The 33-year-old florist felt some wetness as he sat down in the chair. On standing up, he realized that he must have spilled some Nico-Fume Liquid, which he used to keep his flowers free of insects.
The date was 1932, and concentrated solutions of nicotine extracted from tobacco were commonly sold as insecticides at the time, so he thought no more of the spill. Fifteen minutes later, he was suddenly seized with nausea, sweating, faintness, laboured breathing, pinpoint pupils and an irregular heartbeat. An ambulance was called, but on the way to the hospital, the unfortunate florist lost consciousness.
He began to recover in a few hours and was discharged after four days. But his ordeal was not over. The clothes he had been wearing were returned to him, still moist after having been stored in a paper bag. Within an hour of leaving the hospital, his symptoms returned, precipitating another hospital stay.
Although the insecticide had no warning label about possible absorption through the skin, the source of the problem was clear to Dr. James Faulkner, the attending physician. He decided to investigate further. Animal research was not subject to ethics committee approval in those days and the skin of five cats was swabbed with the insecticide solution. All succumbed to the poison. However, three cats treated with Black Leaf 40, another nicotine-containing insecticide, showed no toxic symptoms.
The difference was the form of the nicotine. In the tobacco plant, nicotine occurs as a salt, from which “free” nicotine can be produced by treatment with a base. As Faulkner reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, free nicotine in the Nico-Fume Liquid was readily absorbed through the skin, while nicotine sulphate in Black Leaf 40 was absorbed much more slowly, resulting in lower blood levels.
While nicotine-containing insecticides are no longer sold, the problem of nicotine absorption through the skin is still with us. “Green Tobacco Sickness” can affect workers who harvest green tobacco leaves by hand. They can develop headaches, nausea, increased perspiration, cough and respiratory problems if they are in extended contact with wet tobacco leaves. Nicotine salts are water soluble and enough can be absorbed through the skin from clothing that becomes wet after harvesting rain or morning dew-soaked leaves. The illness can be prevented by wearing a rain suit or harvesting only when leaves are dry.
Sometimes, though, skin absorption is desired. This is the case with nicotine patches, or the little nicotine-containing pouches designed to be inserted between the lips and the gum with the aim of preventing harm caused by smoking, a habit that kills millions of people globally every year. That harm is caused by the numerous carcinogens introduced into the body from the burning of tobacco.
The pleasure of smoking, on the other hand, is attributed to the release of the “happiness” neurotransmitter dopamine in response to inhaled nicotine. It is that pleasure that leads to addiction. The hope is that providing nicotine unaccompanied by carcinogenic smoke will cut down on tobacco-related illness.
The latest entry into the smoking replacement market is the ZYN pouch. When placed between the lip and gum, it slowly releases the salt nicotine bitartrate. There is no question that convincing smokers to switch to an alternate method of satisfying their craving for nicotine is a way to reduce tobacco-related illness.
But what about non-smokers who may take up Zynning as an easy way to get buzzed? Or those who buy into the claims of social media “Zynfluencers” that stuffing the little pouch into their mouth can increase focus, enhance virility, suppress appetite, help with workouts and improve brain function?
One of the most vocal proponents is U.S. conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson, who describes ZYN as a massive life-enhancer, testosterone booster and prophylactic against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. He calls it a mental acuity augmenter, a claim that seems very questionable given that he hardly exhibits mental prowess with his belief that exposing his testicles to red light increases potency. Carlson also has said he has a ZYN pouch in his mouth every second he is awake — which is not in line with the manufacturer’s instructions to limit exposure to half an hour. Extended use can cause irritation of the gums, mouth sores and reduced saliva secretion that can lead to tooth decay.
Philip Morris International, the tobacco company that markets ZYN, asserts that it only targets smokers who are concerned about the health consequences of their habit and is not trying to promote the product to non-smokers.
Of course, no company is averse to increasing sales, and the addition of flavours like peppermint and citrus is surely not designed to turn away younger users. While statistics are hard to come by, it seems inevitable that with the vigorous TikTok and Instagram bustle praising the wonders of ZYN, some non-smokers will be keen to experiment and could become addicted. The effect on oral tissues of long-term exposure to nicotine is unknown, as is its effect on an adolescent brain that is still developing.
While a nicotine pouch is certainly safer than a cigarette, nicotine is still potentially a poison. That was clearly illustrated by an unfortunate case in Nottingham, England, in 2021. A woman from Zimbabwe suffered from stomach problems that persisted even after consulting a physician. Her mother sought help from a Zimbabwean traditional healer who treated her with powdered tobacco leaves both orally and by rubbing into her skin.
Within a short time, she collapsed and died despite paramedics' attempts to save her. The healer was accused of manslaughter. While the judge agreed that there was no intent to harm, he ruled that the man was “operating beyond his skill and understanding” and sentenced him to two years in prison. The amount of nicotine absorbed in this instance was far more than that available from a ZYN pouch, but there is a lingering concern about chronic exposure to small doses of an addictive substance.
Zynning can certainly offer a benefit to smokers, but it also introduces the possibility of fostering nicotine addiction in people who have never smoked but are eager to follow in the footsteps of the Zynfluencers. That addiction may be hard to battle.
Mark Twain knew all about the addictive potential of nicotine: “To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did. I ought to know, because I’ve done it a thousand times.”
