Nicotine Pouch Panic: How Government Keeps People Smoking

Nicotine Pouch Panic: How Government Keeps People Smoking

From John Stossel on Odysee by John Stossel

April 28, 2026 · 5 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of government restrictions on nicotine pouches and their impact on smoking rates.

Nicotine pouches, like Zyn, are safer than smoking. But now, politicians want to restrict the pouches. Here's why that's a problem. _ _ _ _ _ _ To make sure you receive weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe-form _ _ _ _ _ _ Some states ban flavored nicotine pouches. Others slap big taxes on them. Some as high as 95% That doesn’t protect people. That's keeps more people smoking. Because: “If you make the safer alternative more expensive," Guy Bentley of the Reason Foundation explains, "more cigarettes will be sold.” Politicians say they’re doing this for the kids! “Pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids!” warns Senator Chuck Schumer. “The governor is a grandmother!" proclaim bureaucrats in my state. "She cares about the health of our children.” “Please,” responds Bentley, “Almost no kids are using these products.” Only 0.6% of high schoolers use them regularly. “It's adults who were buying the stuff?” I ask. “It is,” explains Bentley, “More than seven million American adults are using nicotine pouches … And that's a good thing, not a bad thing.” It is. My video above explains why, and how the “just-ban-things” crowd create more…

People in this episode

Host: John Stossel

Guest: Guy Bentley

Topics covered

  • nicotine pouches
  • government regulation
  • public health
  • smoking alternatives
  • youth usage
  • taxation

Keywords

  • nicotine pouches
  • Zyn
  • government regulation
  • smoking
  • public health
  • taxes
  • youth usage
  • black markets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reason Foundation

Products: Zyn

Places: United States

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