Philip Morris International’s subsidiary Swedish Match North America (SMNA) will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations that the company facilitated the sale of tens of thousands of flavored tobacco products in Washington, D.C., the attorney general’s office of the District of Columbia said in a statement on Friday. SMNA manufactures Zyn nicotine pouches.
“Flavored tobacco products like Zyn pouches are banned in the District precisely because they are dangerous, addictive, and threaten to reverse the enormous progress we’ve made in reducing tobacco use amongst young people,” Attorney General of the District of Columbia Brian Schwalb said. “Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers should be on notice that my office is aggressively enforcing this ban and will always step in to safeguard our children’s health and safety.”
This past June, PMI suspended online sales nationwide of modern oral nicotine pouch Zyn. Sales were suspended on SMNA’s Zyn.com website following a subpoena from the attorney general of the District of Columbia. Schwalb said the Zyn manufacturer cooperated fully with the District of Columbia’s investigation.
“Swedish Match North America LLC is pleased to have reached a resolution with the office of the attorney general for the District of Columbia. The company is committed to responsibly marketing its products as it works to help legal-age nicotine consumers move away from cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products to better alternatives,” a spokesperson for Stamford, Connecticut-based PMI told CSP.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SMNA, Richmond, Virginia, will also be required to monitor distributor compliance with the Washington, D.C.’s flavor ban on a quarterly basis. SMNA must also send annual compliance reminders to distributors and retailers in the district and prohibit the future sale of flavored tobacco products in Washington, D.C., through shop.zyn.com or any other e-commerce shop associated with zyn.com.
The investigation uncovered evidence indicating that from Oct. 1, 2022, until June 30, 2024, SMNA facilitated the sale of tens of thousands of flavored tobacco products to Washington, D.C., consumers through its website shop.zyn.com, in violation of the ban and of the district’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), the attorney general’s office said.
PMI bought Zyn maker SMNA in 2022.
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