Zyn, a nicotine pouch brand, has shut down a Democratic House lawmaker’s attempt to capitalize on its popularity with young men.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat seeking reelection in a competitive district, sold a $50 can of nicotine pouches with the pun “GLUE-ZYN-KAMP” written on it.
Zyn packages its pouches, which contain nicotine salt that’s absorbed through the gums, in similar circular containers.
The smokeless product is different from chewing tobacco since there’s no spitting.
The Democrat sold the product for only a day, as Philip Morris International, Zyn’s parent company, quickly asked her to stop referencing the brand.
“While we appreciate enthusiasm for our brands from legal-age (21+) adults, the product violates our ZYN trademark and the campaign must cease and desist using it,” a spokesperson for the company told Oregon Public Broadcasting in a statement.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez’s Republican opponent, John Braun, mocked her campaign.
“Even ZYN has had enough of Marie’s gimmicks,” he posted on social media. “When a campaign’s best idea gets a cease-and-desist, maybe it’s time to focus on serving Southwest Washington instead of chasing internet trends.”
Mr. Braun’s website does not sell merchandise.
Nicotine pouches, a tobacco-free version of Swedish snus, have rapidly gained popularity in the U.S.
In January 2025, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of Zyn products in the U.S., saying that nicotine pouches benefit “adults who use cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products and completely switch to these products.”
However, no federal agency has approved pouches as a nicotine cessation aid, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes on its website, “There are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches.”
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign is not the first to experiment with campaign merchandise.
In 2015, then-presidential candidate Jeb Bush sold a guacamole bowl on his website for $75, with a caption noting that he loved “whipping up guacamole on Sunday Funday.”
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is a closely watched battleground and is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez has made some high-profile defections from her party recently, voting to advance Republican-backed legislation on two occasions.
She won by four points against Republican Joe Kent in 2024.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez is an advocate for legislation to help American Indians remove sea lions from rivers — animals she has referred to as “Corolla-sized vermin.”
Mr. Braun is the state’s Senate minority leader and placed first in the district’s nonpartisan primary, securing his opportunity to face her in November.
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