UBCO expert advises government to close nicotine pouch loophole

Photo: UBCO

A University of British Columbia Okanagan professor is urging the federal government to close a nicotine pouch loophole.

Dr. Laura Struik, an assistant professor at UBCO’s School of Nursing, researches health behaviours of young people with a particular focus on tobacco and nicotine use, including interventions to prevent youth uptake.

“Pop it in your mouth, tuck it under your upper lip and it tingles,” reads an Instagram ad for flavoured nicotine pouches. The pouches—approved for sale in Canada in July 2023—are seemingly marketed as a nicotine replacement therapy to help adults quit smoking.

Since then Canada's Health Minister, Mark Holland warned tobacco companies to “stay away from our kids.” Health Canada has now issued a public advisory and a notice of intent to explore legislative and regulatory options to protect youth from these products.

Holland accused Imperial Tobacco of exploiting a loophole to get Health Canada approval for its oral nicotine pouch by branding it as an aid to quit smoking. The approval did not come with a minimum age limit.

The BC government introduced its own regulations in February, limiting the sale of nicotine pouches to pharmacies.

Premier David Eby said when the ban was announced that the province issued the order to prevent children from coming into contact with a "hazardous" and "addictive" product while Health Canada looks into the regulation of sales.

Struik says these products should be banned completely across the country.

“As a signatory to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we’re obliged under this public health treaty to ensure any new nicotine products are less harmful than cigarettes, are efficacious smoking cessation aids and are only marketed towards adults.”

Other countries, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand and Norway have already banned nicotine pouches.

“However, Canada is on its back foot as far as much needed research goes before these products should have been released to the market,” says Dr. Struik. “A ban is consistent with our commitment to this treaty, and for that matter, our commitment to the health of Canadians, especially our youth.”

Imperial Tobacco has maintained that they have not exploited any loopholes to get their product called Zonnic to the market and that it simply applied to Health Canada and got approval.