Cigarettes and vapes have a track record of providing nicotine to both the user and—via secondhand smoke—those around them as well. The smoke particles can also build up on surfaces over time, creating thirdhand smoke, which is another way to end up exposed to harmful chemicals with no smokers present.
On the other hand, nicotine pouches like ZYN provide a healthier, safer alternative to standard nicotine products. They’re smoke-free and odorless, so you can bring them to places like airplanes, offices, and non-smoking sections of restaurants without exposing others to their nicotine content.
This leaves a question: since you’re the only one exposed to it, how long does ZYN stay in your system?
To better understand this, we’ll answer the following questions:
- How long does a ZYN pouch stay in your system?
- How long do ZYNs stay in your blood?
- How long do ZYNs stay in your urine?
- Does ZYN show up on a blood test?
- How do you get nicotine out of your system faster?
How Long Does a ZYN Pouch Stay in Your System?
The nicotine in ZYNs should be gone from your system one to three days after you stop using them. Still, the main byproduct of its metabolization, cotinine, can take up to ten days to fully clear from your body.
Nicotine has a half-life of about two hours. This means that every two hours, the amount of residual nicotine in your body halves until it’s down to unnoticeable amounts or completely out of your system.
Cotinine has a half-life of about 19 hours. Its longer half-life and status as a nicotine metabolite mean that when you’re testing for nicotine intake, the main thing to look for is the presence of cotinine.
The exact speed at which these chemicals are eliminated from your body depends on several factors:
- Age: Older users take more time to metabolize and expel nicotine than younger ones
- Previous nicotine use: If you’re a regular user of nicotine products, you may have a build-up of nicotine in your body, so it will take longer to flush it out of your system
- Gender: Studies show that women metabolize nicotine faster than men
- Medication: Using medications can slow down or speed up the rate of nicotine metabolization. For example, antiseizure medications can speed up the process, while certain eczema medications can slow it down
- Liver activity: Nicotine is primarily metabolized by the enzymes produced in the liver
- Kidney activity: Urine is the primary way to expel nicotine, so healthier kidney function speeds up the process
How Long Do ZYNs Stay in Your Blood?
When doing a blood test, nicotine can be detected for as long as three days after it’s last been ingested. Its byproduct, cotinine, remains detectable up to three times longer. Because blood nicotine levels drop relatively quickly, it’s not a reliable marker for exposure, so most tests check for cotinine content.
Aside from pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, ZYNs are made of several food-grade ingredients. These ingredients filter out of your system in about 24 hours.
Does ZYN Affect Your Heart?
Because they don’t contain tobacco, ZYN pouches are a safer option than cigarettes, vaping, and traditional snus. Still, keep in mind that nicotine is a stimulant, and it will affect your cardiovascular system.
Although there are studies that show a relationship between nicotine use and high blood pressure, these mainly focus on the use of cigarettes and vapes. Currently, there’s little research into the effects of nicotine pouches on your heart.
Nicotine has vasoconstrictive properties, meaning it constricts your blood vessels as it courses through your system. A study done on users of smokeless tobacco products shows that if there are no underlying health problems, the difference in blood pressure between users and non-users is minimal.

Source: Obi – @pixel9propics
Does ZYN Show Up on a Blood Test?
Since ZYN pouches contain nicotine, a blood test will show if you use them. distinguishing a ZYN user from someone who uses tobacco-containing products may be possible.
Anabasine is a byproduct of metabolizing nicotine found in tobacco products. Because ZYN pouches don’t contain tobacco, anabasine levels in a ZYN user’s blood should remain within the normal range.
Nicotine can make the cells in your body more resistant to insulin, slowing down the breakdown of sugar. Studies show a relationship between long-term smoking and type 2 diabetes. A similar study on a smokeless nicotine product—snus—has yielded similar results.
The absence of tobacco in ZYN pouches and the fact that they’re sugar-free mean that they should be less visible on a blood test. Keep in mind that there’s currently no definitive research on the long-term effects of ZYN in this regard.
Does ZYN Show Up on a Drug Test?
Drug tests check for the presence of illegal or prescription drugs in your system, so ZYN won’t show up on a drug test. Nicotine products are legal for users 21 and older, so you would have to test specifically for nicotine or its byproducts for it to show up.
Unlike regular drug tests, you can’t be subjected to a nicotine test unless the situation requires it. Some examples of this are:
- Court-ordered tests: This can happen in situations like child custody cases
- Health insurance: Smokers have higher health insurance costs, so some insurance companies may test for nicotine byproducts to decide on your premium
- Nicotine replacement therapy: Your anatabine and anabasine levels can be checked to make sure you are sticking to the rules

Source: Testalize
How Long Does ZYN Stay in Your Urine?
From the moment you stop using ZYN, your urine can show traces of nicotine for about three days. Other markers, such as cotinine, may remain detectable for up to ten days. Some studies show that long-term heavy smokers can have traces of nicotine use in their bodies for up to eight weeks.
Urine is considered to be more reliable than blood for nicotine level testing because it carries four to six times higher concentrations of cotinine. However, just as with blood testing, some things can show whether the nicotine came from a product that contains tobacco.
Anabasine, which is found in smokers’ blood, is also present in their urine. The second compound to look out for is anatabine.
Anatabine, like anabasine, is a naturally occurring chemical that appears as a byproduct of nicotine from tobacco-based products. Because of this property, when you do a urine test, it won’t show whether you’re using ZYN specifically but rather a nicotine-based product.
How Long Does ZYN Stay in Your Saliva?
Nicotine stays in your saliva for about 24 hours, while cotinine can survive for up to an entire week. For heavy smokers, this number can go up to two weeks.
The concentration of nicotine in saliva is lower than in urine, so saliva testing is considered a less reliable method.
Because of the placement and delivery method of nicotine pouches, a small portion of the nicotine will enter your spit as well. If you swallow ZYN spit, you can deliver small amounts of nicotine to your digestive system before it enters your bloodstream.
Does ZYN Affect Your Gums?
Research suggests that nicotine pouches can cause oral health issues or make existing gum problems, like bad breath or gum recession, worse. If you use high-quality pouches like ZYN, the risk is lower but not entirely absent. The main ways ZYN can irritate your gums are:
- Physical irritation: You put the pouches onto your gums so they rub against them and may irritate them
- Diuretic effects: The nicotine in the pouches works as a diuretic, making it easier to get dehydrated
- Vasoconstriction: Using nicotine pouches narrows the blood vessels in your gums, which limits blood supply
There are ways to minimize the risks of developing oral health problems. What you need to do is:
- Switch the placement of your ZYN pouches: By varying where you place the pouch in your mouth, you give your gums time to recover from the physical irritation
- Drink more water: Drinking water keeps you hydrated and helps you wash out residue from your mouth and gums
- Wait between pouches: By waiting between ZYNs, your gums get to recover between uses
There’s currently no conclusive evidence on whether ZYN pouches are bad for your gums in the long run. Still, since they contain no tobacco and don’t include smoke, they’re a safer option.
How Do You Get Nicotine From ZYNs?
Using ZYNs is a simple, hands-free process. You put a ZYN pouch in between your gums and upper lip. From there, the nicotine gets absorbed through the mucous lining and goes directly into your bloodstream. When this happens, you should feel a tingle in your gums from where the pouch is.
When you put in your ZYN, the timeline looks like this:
Time Elapsed | Nicotine Levels |
0–5 minutes | The pouch gets wet, you feel the tingle, and the pouch starts releasing nicotine |
5–10 minutes | Nicotine has entered your bloodstream and you feel the buzz |
10–20 minutes | You’ve absorbed most of the nicotine from the pouch by this point |
20–30 minutes | By now, nicotine levels in your bloodstream are at their peak, and the pouch releases mostly flavor |
Once the nicotine enters your bloodstream, it travels to your brain, where it binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. As this happens, your brain starts releasing dopamine, which can relax you and improve your mood.
You should feel the effects of your pouch within minutes of placing it, and they should last about 30 minutes, although this depends on factors such as previous nicotine use and tolerance.
How Much Nicotine Do You Absorb From ZYN?
Pouches are the most efficient nicotine product since you can absorb up to 50% of their nicotine content.
When you smoke a cigarette, you only absorb about 1.1–1.8 mg out of the 10–12mg of nicotine each cigarette contains—so only about 10%. You get about 32% of the nicotine content when you use snus.
If you want to make the most out of each pouch, several factors can affect how much nicotine you absorb:
- Pouch strength: Stronger pouches have higher nicotine content, so you’ll absorb more nicotine from them
- Usage duration: Although most of the nicotine is released from a pouch early on, keeping it in for up to 30 minutes will increase the total amount of nicotine absorbed
- Moisture: More saliva will increase the rate at which pouches release nicotine
- Individual factors: Individual health factors like saliva production and gum health can affect the nicotine absorption rate
- pH levels: Studies show that more nicotine is absorbed in alkaline environments
Keep in mind that if you absorb too much nicotine in a short time, you run the risk of side effects.

Source: Towfiqu barbhuiya
What Happens if You Absorb Too Much Nicotine?
When you absorb too much nicotine too quickly, you can get “nic sick,” which means you’re experiencing a mild form of nicotine overexposure.
When this happens, there’s a high chance you’ll feel nauseous. If you have underlying stomach problems, you might also get heartburn.
If you start noticing any of these symptoms, remove your pouch right away. Drink water to help soothe your stomach and wash out any nicotine residue from your mouth and throat.
To stay ahead of any potential issues, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Mind the pouch strength: Most of the time, getting nic sick is caused by the pouch being too strong. ZYN comes in four levels of strength, so try to find which one matches your needs and tolerance
- Check if the pouch is damaged: ZYN pouches are designed to deliver nicotine steadily over time. If the pouch is damaged, it will release nicotine much faster, which can make you sick
- Use one ZYN at a time: While ZYNs are on the milder end of the nicotine pouch spectrum, using more than one at once can make you feel ill, irritate your gums, and waste pouches. If you need more than one to feel a buzz, you probably need to switch to a stronger product

Source: Ketut Subiyanto
How Can You Get Nicotine out of Your System Faster?
Nicotine will leave your system on its own if you’re patient. Still, if you want to make it go faster, there are a few things you can do:
- Drink water: Urine is the primary way your body expels nicotine. Drinking more water increases your urination frequency, which can help speed up the process
- Get enough sleep: Your body flushes out toxins while you sleep through the glymphatic system, a network that removes waste from the brain and nervous system. Sleep deprivation can contribute to toxin buildup and slow down these processes
- Eat healthy: Nutrient-rich healthy foods, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, can help stimulate liver function and improve your metabolism
- Be physically active: Physical activity can speed up your metabolism. Sweating is one of the ways the body gets rid of toxins
Because of their lower nicotine content, ZYN pouches are a good option for keeping nicotine levels in your body at the lower end while continuing to use pouches.

Source: Snusboss
SnusBoss—The Best Place To Get Your ZYN Nicopods
SnusBoss is your one-stop shop for all your ZYN needs. Founded by experts, SnusBoss offers a great variety of fresh, high-grade pouches with fantastic flavor and a strong nicotine kick.
To order from Snusboss, follow three simple steps:
- Go to the online store
- Choose your favorite ZYN flavor and strength
- Put in your shipping and payment information
Pick the express shipping option, and your pouches will arrive within 2–3 business days. Shopping at SnusBoss also has perks like:
- Free shipping on all orders above $249
- Competitive prices and bulk discounts
- Regular discounts and promotions
Want To See What Else Is Out There? SnusBoss Has You Covered
ZYN has a variety of products available, but sometimes, a stronger buzz is all you need. SnusBoss’ offer can help you find just what you need from one of these brands:
You have to be at least 21 years old to legally purchase and use nicotine pouches in the U.S.
Featured image source: Placidplace