Can You Take ZYN Nicotine Pouches on a Plane?

The rules that control how we travel with tobacco and nicotine products have never been more complex or varied. It wasn’t all that many years ago when the only choice was combustible or chewing tobacco; you could buy tobacco and smoke almost everywhere, even during a flight.

The growth in popularity of e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other alternatives to smoking means there is far more choice, but also that there are more ways than ever to fall foul of the rules that have sprung up to manage their use.

Taking a flight, whether it’s a business trip, going home for the holidays, or heading off for a two-week family vacation, can be stressful enough at the best of times, let alone when you are unsure if you can take your nicotine pouches with you. Can you bring ZYN and other nicotine pouches on a plane? How many can you take? And can you use pouches during the flight?

This article will help to relieve some of that stress by answering those questions and more.

Key Takeaways

You are allowed to bring nicotine pouches onto a plane, in both checked and carry-on bags, in the United States and most other countries. Neither the TSA nor any of the individual major U.S. airlines restrict nicotine pouches in luggage.
Questions about the nicotine pouches in your bags might be asked if you are under the legal age limit to purchase them. For anyone over 21, the TSA is unlikely to take any notice of the nicotine pouches in your bags unless you have excessive amounts.
While there is no specific restriction on using nicotine pouches during your flight in the U.S., airlines in other parts of the world might have. It is a good idea to be discreet when using pouches on a plane, and always dispose of them appropriately.
When planning to take nicotine pouches on a plane, do your research on the rules at your destination if outside of the U.S. Always keep them in their original packaging, and carry them where they are easily accessible in case you are questioned.

Can You Take Nicotine Pouches on a Plane?

The simple answer is yes, you can take ZYN, GO!, VELO, or other nicotine pouches on a plane. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has placed no restrictions on carrying nicotine pouches (or any other oral nicotine products) on aircraft flying into or out of the United States. And as far as we can tell, there are no plans for this to change.

Unlike e-cigarettes, which aren’t permitted in the hold due to their batteries, nic pouches are allowed in both your checked luggage and carry-on bags. If you are going away for a long time and need to take a lot of pouches with you, it is probably best to split them between your checked and cabin bags (you don’t need access to two weeks’ worth of ZYN pouches on a 6-hour flight).

Although TSA agents have the power to confiscate items or prevent you from flying for anything they deem suspicious or inappropriate, it is very unlikely to happen just for having some nicotine pouches in your bag. That said, it is always worth following a few common-sense rules if you want to be able to breeze through the TSA checkpoint.

Tips For Carrying Nicotine Pouches in Your Carry-on Bag

Don’t carry nicotine pouches if you are not legally permitted to have them. The federal age limit for buying ZYN and other nicotine pouches is 21 in the U.S. If you are below that age, having pouches in your bag could cause problems.
Don’t conceal or hide the nicotine pouches. Although concealing a permitted product isn’t technically against any rules, stuffing them inside your spare sneakers at the bottom of your bag could raise red flags with the TSA agents on the scanner.
Retain the original packaging for nicotine pouches you plan to take on a flight. This will help to avoid confusion and allow anyone checking your bags to see what they are at a glance.
Don’t attempt to take an excessive amount of pouches on a plane. An amount that looks suitable for personal use will likely be fine, but 30 cans stuffed in your bag for a two-week-long vacation might look suspicious.

TSA Nicotine and Tobacco Product Rules

The TSA provides a detailed database of everything you can legally take on a plane, including tobacco and nicotine products. These rules are not set in stone forever and could change at any time, so it’s a good idea to check the database yourself before traveling on any TSA-controlled flight. Here are the current TSA guidelines (as of the time of publishing this article) for all tobacco/nicotine products:

Nicotine Pouches: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. There are no quantity limits.
Cigarettes: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. There are no quantity limits.
E-cigarettes: Allowed in carry-on bags only. Max battery capacity of 100 Wh.
E-liquid: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. No more than 100ml per bottle.
Cigars: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. There are no quantity limits.
Snus: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. There are no quantity limits.
Loose Tobacco: Allowed in checked and carry-on bags. There are no quantity limits.

Not all of these listed nicotine products are specifically included in the TSA “What Can I Bring” database. The assumption is that if products such as nicotine pouches aren’t listed, no restrictions apply. If you are unsure, seek confirmation from the TSA directly.

Using Nicotine Pouches During a Flight

Can You Take ZYN Nicotine Pouches on a Plane - 1 — Alexander – stock.adobe.com

Whether you can use your ZYN, VELO, or FRE nicotine pouch while mid-flight likely falls under the same rules as using nicotine patches or gum. Like these NRTs, using a nicotine pouch doesn’t emit smoke, vapor, or smell, so it won’t impact your fellow passengers or anyone else on the plane. If you are discreet, it is unlikely that anyone will even know you have one nestled between your lip and gums.

Individual airlines could set their own rules about the use of nicotine pouches on their aircraft, so while we could not find any who explicitly state that they do allow them to be used, it is advisable to speak to airline staff to check if you are concerned.

The following major U.S. airlines currently (as of January 2025) include no restrictions on nicotine pouch use in their written policies. While this isn’t an exhaustive list of U.S. airlines, between them, they likely handle the majority of domestic air travel:

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
United Airlines

Even though airlines are unlikely to prohibit the use of nicotine pouches during a flight, it still makes sense not to push your luck. Be discreet with your nicotine pouches and dispose of them safely and hygienically when you have finished with each one. It is also advisable to keep them in the original packaging so, if questioned about them, you can prove that what you are using is just a nicotine pouch.

Traveling Internationally With Nicotine Pouches

The rules and restrictions detailed above concern U.S. airlines and flights within the control of the FAA and TSA. However, if you are flying to another country, you also need to think about the rules on nicotine pouches at your destination. These, understandably, can vary quite a lot.

Where nicotine pouches or oral nicotine products are legally available for sale in a country, carrying them into and out of the country (for personal use) on a plane will also likely be fine. The legality of nicotine pouches is a developing situation with no widely accepted rules. They have been generally more accepted than smoking tobacco, but as has been seen in Europe in the last year, opinion on their safety is fluid.

You should always research the laws surrounding nicotine products, paying particular attention to import limits. In some countries, you might be required to declare such products on arrival to ensure you are not bringing in more than is permitted or prove that they are below a certain strength. Here are a few examples of how the rules vary between countries.

United Kingdom

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not list nicotine pouches in its guidance on prohibited products. We can also find no specific published restrictions on carrying or using them on flights from any major UK airlines. This means that nicotine pouches can almost certainly be carried into and out of the UK in your checked and carry-on luggage with no problems.

European Union

Countries within the EU have similar restrictions on carrying tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette products to the U.S. Currently, no European countries prevent nicotine pouches from being carried on flights. Belgium and a few other countries plan to or have banned the sale of nicotine pouches, but tourists bringing some for personal use is usually accepted.

Scandinavia

Countries such as Sweden and Norway are considered the birthplace of nicotine pouches (and oral tobacco products like Snus), and their use is widely accepted. Flying into and out of these countries (which mostly adhere to EU rules) with nicotine pouches is unlikely to be a problem. Using pouches on Scandinavian airlines (such as SAS or Norwegian) flights should also be fine.

Australia

Australia has some of the most restrictive tobacco laws in the world, and while nicotine pouch use is legal, there might be controls over the quantity and strength of pouches that can be brought into the country. Anyone wishing to import pouches for personal use (by any means) into Australia is required to have a prescription. It is worth noting that Australia has VERY strict controls over what is allowed to be imported by passengers on flights food, plants, etc.,) so several cans of ZYN are almost certainly going to be spotted on entry.

Canada

Canada has restricted the sale of nicotine pouches to pharmacies, essentially making them a controlled drug. Because of this, restrictions also apply to carrying pouches into the country on a flight. While nicotine pouches are not banned outright, there are controls placed on pouch strength. If flying to Canada, be sure to limit how many pouches you carry and make sure they contain no more than 4mg per pouch.