They’ve exploded in popularity in recent years, but the Alberta government believes the use of nicotine pouches across the country is being mishandled.
“It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious, but only the federal government could take a legal, regulated product and make it more difficult for adults to purchase, yet easier for kids to get their hands on,” says Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally.
Federal rules dictate the pouches — small tobacco-free bags containing nicotine that are placed between the lip and gum — can only be sold behind the counter at pharmacies. Only one brand, Zonnic, has been authorized for sale by Health Canada.
An impact assessment done as part of the regulations says Ottawa was concerned pouches and other types of smoking cessation aids were creating new nicotine users, especially among youth.
“Over the past decade, the ways in which (nicotine pouches and other nicotine replacement therapies) are marketed and sold have become increasingly similar to tobacco and vaping products,” the assessment says.
“Considering these risk factors together, a tailored regulatory approach focusing on (orally administered nicotine replacement therapies) is necessary to reduce the appeal of, access to, and use of these products by young people.”
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week, Nally and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith say the restrictions are a form of “regulatory inconsistency” and could be causing more harm than they’re preventing.
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“We heard from Albertans,” says Nally. “They were upset at the ministerial order… it just made (nicotine pouches) more difficult to purchase, and in making them more difficult to purchase the illicit market has stepped up.”
The letter argues regular retail stores already sell age-restricted nicotine products and should be allowed to sell the pouches as well.
Previously, the pouches could be purchased in convenience stores and at gas stations, similarly to cigarettes.
It’s something Sarbgit Permar has been doing for nearly two decades as the owner of S. K. Market in downtown Calgary.
“When I say the pharmacy is only able to sell these now… (customers) ask me, ‘Why are you not allowed? You sell smokes, right?'”
Permar says 18 months after the restriction took force, it’s still a common conversation and she feels the frustration, too.
“People are trying to quit smoking… this is a healthy choice,” said Nally.
“We have a system in place. It’s behind the counter, it’s behind a closed door, it’s age-gated. And not only is there age verification, but we actually send in inspectors.”
“I always check ID, I have a record of proof,” Permar says, explaining that enforcement officials often come into her store to ensure she’s compliant with tobacco rules — even sending in secret shoppers from time to time.
Permar says the regulations have “significantly” affected her business.
“People could come here, buy (pouches), get drinks, snacks… now I don’t see them any more.”
In the letter, Smith and Nally say federal policy appears to have coincided with growth on the illicit black market, where unregulated pouches are widely available online with no age restrictions.
It says this unregulated market may actually be increasing youth exposure to pouches, which Ottawa aimed to prevent when it introduced the regulations in 2024.
“What is frustrating to us is that in this illicit market that has stepped up, there are not guardrails,” explains Nally. “There are no safety protocols in place, there are no quality control checks, and importantly there is no age verification.”
The provincial government agrees the pouches shouldn’t be accessible by youth, but says adults who want to use them as a smoking cessation tool should be able to easily access an assortment of brands.
Nally made one thing clear — a potential change in the rules shouldn’t be seen as a reason to take up a new habit.
“If you don’t use nicotine pouches today, there’d be no reason to start,” Nally said.
“If an adult chooses a nicotine pouch over a cigarette, that doesn’t sound like a bad choice to me… but it’s a choice an adult has to make.”
–with files from The Canadian Press
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