B.C. Restricts Nicotine Pouch Sales to Pharmacies
British Columbia has announced new regulations that will restrict the sale of “nicotine pouches” to pharmacies only. Starting Wednesday, these products will no longer be available in convenience stores across the province.
Nicotine pouches, such as the popular brand Zonnic, are small bags containing nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients that users place between their gum and cheek to absorb the nicotine. While marketed as a smoking cessation aid for adults, the colorful packaging and appealing flavors like berry frost, chill mint, and tropic breeze have raised concerns about their potential appeal to young people.
Under the new rules, nicotine pouches will be kept behind the counter at pharmacies. While no prescription is required, purchasers will need to speak with a pharmacist to obtain the product. This added layer of oversight aims to ensure that these products are used responsibly and not sold to minors.
Health Minister Adrian Dix emphasized the importance of protecting youth from nicotine addiction, stating, “Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and youth are more susceptible to developing a dependency on it than adults.” Premier David Eby echoed this sentiment, adding, “We don’t want our kids to get hooked on nicotine and have a dependency on nicotine their entire lives.”
The Ministry of Health warns that nicotine dependence can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, shakes, dizziness, and feelings of anxiety or depression. In youth, nicotine exposure can also affect memory, concentration, brain development, and cause cognitive and behavioral issues.
Buccal nicotine pouches are a relatively new product in the Canadian market and are not currently covered by Health Canada regulations. As a result, they can be sold in convenience stores to youth across the country. However, Premier Eby has been assured by federal Health Minister Mark Holland that Ottawa is working to close this “loophole.”
According to the B.C. Ministry of Health, nicotine pouches can contain up to four milligrams of nicotine, which is roughly equivalent to the amount of nicotine absorbed from smoking three to four cigarettes. Premier Eby criticized the marketing of products like Zonnic as “irresponsible,” expressing concern that they have been “designed to appeal to children, to hook them early and set them on a lifetime of nicotine dependence.”
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