Canada Bans Sale of Nicotine Pouches Outside Pharmacies

Canada bans nicotine pouches outside pharmacies

The Canadian government has banned the sale of nicotine pouches outside of pharmacies, effective August 28th, 2024. This decision comes in response to growing concerns about the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) by individuals, particularly young people, who would not otherwise use nicotine products.

Zonnic Nicotine Pouches Restricted

Under the new regulations, the sale of Zonnic nicotine pouches will be prohibited in all convenience stores and gas stations across Canada. Of the three available flavors, Berry Frost and Tropic Breeze will be completely recalled, while the Cool Mint flavor will only be accessible for purchase behind the counter at pharmacies as an NRT.

Health Minister Mark Holland stated, “There’s a couple of things that are going to happen. The first is these products are going to be moved behind the counter. The second thing is these nonsense flavours targeting our kids are gone, so Tropical Breeze and Cool Berry Splash, whatever they have, it’s over. Those products will be recalled and unavailable.“

New Measures to Protect Youth

The ban is part of a series of new federal measures aimed at reducing the appeal, access, and overall use of nicotine products among Canadian youth. These measures include:

  1. Prohibiting advertising, promotion, labeling, or packaging of NRTs that could appeal to youth.
  2. Ensuring new NRTs entering the market are sold only in pharmacies and kept behind the counter.
  3. Requiring new NRTs to be available only in mint or menthol flavors.
  4. Mandating NRT packaging to include a nicotine addiction warning and clearly state their intended use as a smoking cessation aid.
  5. Requiring manufacturers to submit mock-ups of labels and packaging for new or amended NRT licenses to ensure they do not appeal to youth.

Impact on Smoking Cessation Efforts

While the ban is intended to reduce the appeal of nicotine pouches to young people, critics argue that it may hinder access for smokers trying to quit. The pouches are now only available behind the counter at pharmacies, and anyone purchasing them must speak to a pharmacist first.

Nicotine pouches, designed for smoking cessation, were approved for use in Canada in October 2023 and are regulated under the Food and Drugs Act. Health Canada approved the sale of Zonnic, a flavored nicotine pouch from Imperial Tobacco, which reportedly helps adult smokers quit by delivering nicotine to the body in a controlled manner.

Learning from Sweden’s Success

Nicotine pouches are similar to snus, which has been instrumental in dramatically reducing smoking levels in Sweden. By making safer nicotine alternatives widely available, Sweden is set to become a smoke-free country this year, with a smoking rate below five percent.

International Trend

Canada’s new regulations follow similar moves by the Netherlands and Belgium, which announced a ban on the sale of all types of nicotine pouches in November 2023.

As countries grapple with the challenge of reducing smoking rates while protecting youth from nicotine addiction, the regulation of nicotine pouches and other alternative nicotine products is likely to remain a topic of ongoing debate and policy development.

Matthew Ma
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