Health Minister Mark Holland is putting Health Canada-approved nicotine pouches behind pharmacy counters starting next week as part of his crackdown on the sale of new nicotine products to children.
He also says he’s banning flavours other than mint or menthol for pouches and any new nicotine products on the market, and putting restrictions on the labels and advertising of all nicotine replacement therapies.
Imperial Tobacco’s nicotine pouch product, called Zonnic, was approved by Health Canada as an aid to quit smoking last year without any restrictions on the age of consumers.
But Holland has been saying for months that the pouches are being used by children and young people who have never smoked, calling that a “loophole” for tobacco companies.
Imperial Tobacco has accused the minister of unfairly penalizing their highly regulated product while turning a blind eye to similar, unregulated versions that can be easily ordered online.
The minister says he’s still exploring ways of preventing those products from entering the country.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2024.