Federal health officials on Thursday backed the public health benefits of nicotine pouches, authorizing Philip Morris International’s Zyn to help adult smokers cut back or quit cigarettes.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the marketing of 20 Zyn products to adults, the first time it has authorized nicotine pouches.

FDA authorizes Zyn nicotine pouches, citing public health benefits for adult smokers, despite concerns over flavored products' appeal to teens.

The FDA said "an extensive scientific review" found the products were found to pose lower risks of cancer and other serious health conditions compared to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.

The agency finds Zyn’s benefit as a safer alternative for adult cigarette smokers outweighs its risk to young people.

Zyn and the retailers who sell the product have run afoul of regulators in recent years. The FDA in April of last year warned 119 retailers to stop selling Zyn to underage people, and the company was ordered to pay $1.2 million last year for violating Washington, D.C.’s smokeless tobacco ban.

The FDA authorized the marketing of 20 Zyn products on Thursday, marking the first allowance for the fast-growing nicotine pouches.

Marketing for the popular nicotine pouch product, Zyn, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help smokers quit cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The Food and Drug Administration issued marketing granted orders to 20 Zyn nicotine pouch products. The announcement on Thursday marks the first nicotine pouch product to be authorized by the FDA.