Flavored Zyn pouches have been off California shelves for nearly four years, and gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton wants voters to know he'd change that. Standing outside a Fresno County gas station Thursday, Hilton unveiled a plan to restore sales of flavored nicotine pouches in the state if he wins the governor's race, framing the current ban as one of the rules Californians most want gone.
A Gas Station Becomes the Backdrop
Hilton held his press event at Loma Vista Travel Plaza, where, according to the New York Post, the station's manager said customers frequently ask for flavored Zyn that the business legally cannot sell. The manager said shoppers report buying the pouches out of state or online instead, and that the station loses business as a result. Republican state Assemblymember David Tangipa also spoke at the Thursday event in Fresno County.
Hilton's campaign said it gathered feedback from Californians on which bureaucratic rule they most wanted removed, and that the ban on Zyn and other nicotine pouches ranked among the top choices. He has tied the proposal to a broader pitch for what he calls an office of fun and freedom, meant to challenge rules he views as burdensome. Hilton called the flavored-pouch ban pointless and ridiculous, according to the same report.
What the Plan Would and Wouldn't Change
Hilton posted the proposal Thursday, saying it would let adults buy Zyn and eliminate the flavored-pouch restriction while leaving other rules intact. He said California currently allows Zyn Smooth and Original but bans cinnamon, citrus, peppermint and other flavors that are themselves FDA-authorized. The FDA has authorized 20 Zyn products for sale, including flavored varieties, per the same report. Hilton's plan would retain the existing age limit and penalties for sales to minors, along with California's separate restrictions on flavored cigarettes, and would exclude any products not reviewed and authorized by the FDA. Hilton said there is no medical or health reason to prohibit flavored nicotine pouches. His campaign acknowledged that nicotine is addictive but argued adults should be able to make decisions for themselves.
The FDA's marketing authorizations extend beyond Zyn. In August, the agency separately authorized four flavored nicotine pouch products from Helix Innovations — Rich Berry 2 mg, Cappuccino 2 mg, Cappuccino 4 mg and Autumn Spice 2 mg — through what The Hill described as a pilot program. The outlet also reported that ten of Zyn's flavored pouches had received marketing authorization through a separate pathway.
How California's Ban Took Hold
California's restrictions trace back to a 2020 law and the 2022 statewide vote that upheld it. Voters passed Proposition 31 that year with 63.5% in favor, affirming the ban on sales of most flavored tobacco products, according to the Los Angeles Times. Supporters argued at the time that removing youth-friendly flavors like bubblegum, cotton candy and cherry would deter tobacco use among kids. The state later expanded its flavored tobacco ban to include products that provide a cooling sensation, which covers menthol-style pouches. The California Secretary of State's official voter guide noted that a no vote on Proposition 31 would have let in-person stores and vending machines keep selling flavored tobacco products and flavor enhancers, subject to other federal, state and local rules, per the California Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide.
Public health advocates argue that flavored nicotine pouches are part of the tobacco industry's strategy to hook young people, a concern that predates Hilton's proposal and shaped the original push for Proposition 31. National data offers a mixed picture of youth use. The CDC reported that current nicotine-pouch use among middle and high school students showed no significant change from 2023 to 2024, with an estimated 480,000 students using them in 2024, according to the CDC's MMWR. Separately, the CDC reported that 1.8% of middle and high school students said they currently used nicotine pouches in 2024.
A Similar Fight Playing Out in Massachusetts
Hilton isn't the only statewide candidate making this pitch this election cycle. Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial nominee Michael Minogue has made legalizing flavored nicotine products like Zyn part of his own campaign, according to The Boston Globe. The Globe reported that Minogue owns stock in several major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris International, which owns Zyn through a subsidiary. The paper also reported that reversing Massachusetts's flavored-pouch restriction would require the Democratic-led state Legislature to change the law, not unilateral action by the governor. A Massachusetts public health professor told the Globe that any public official proposing policy affecting a product in which they hold a financial interest really has a responsibility to divest.
Whether Hilton's own proposal could move forward without legislative action, and how exactly it would be structured, remains unclear from his campaign's public statements so far. For now, the plan stands as a campaign-trail promise anchored to a single Fresno County gas station where, by the manager's account, demand for flavored Zyn hasn't gone away even though the product has.
