According to a recent report by Western Standard, Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland has issued a controversial ministerial order that as of Wednesday (the 28th), Canadians can only purchase nicotine pouches at pharmacies.
The directive has sparked criticism because it makes it harder for smokers to access these smoking cessation products, while other cessation aids remain widely available.
Eric Gagnon, Vice President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN), stated that...
Today is a sad day for Canadian smokers who are hoping to quit. It is an abuse of power as the Minister of Health unilaterally imposed new regulations on our smoking cessation product ZONNIC. These regulations do not apply to any other smoking cessation product and specifically target ZONNIC. This is a personal attack by the minister on our company and will only make it harder for adult smokers to quit.
Kanon pointed out that other nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) have not been affected by the ban. Despite at least five meetings between a major pharmaceutical company in the NRT market and the Ministry's office after the launch of ZONNIC, ITCAN was denied similar meetings.
Furthermore, Ganong stated that a public opinion survey conducted by the Canadian Ministry of Health in January showed that the illegal nicotine pouch brand recognized by Canadian young people is not ZONNIC, but another well-known illegal nicotine pouch brand. However, the minister's directive does not specifically address the issue of nicotine pouch use among young people, contradicting the minister's commitment to protecting young people.
The Canadian Department of Health is well aware that the nicotine pouch market has been overrun by illegal sellers. There are many active online and specialty stores selling these products, and the minister's orders will not make them disappear. In fact, illegal sales are expected to continue to increase.
In addition, Jiang emphasized that ITCAN has taken measures beyond product licensing requirements to ensure that ZONNIC is stored behind the counter and only sold after age verification. Despite facing opposition, ITCAN has complied with the new regulations and instructed its convenience store, gas station, and grocery store partners to remove its product ZONNIC from shelves.
We will provide strong support to our pharmacy partners as they are now on the front line of smoking cessation counseling.
ZONNIC is a nicotine pouch brand under the Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN) company.
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