Canada banning sales of flavoured nicotine pouches in convenience stores, gas stations

Starting next week, the federal government will implement new restrictions on nicotine pouches, making it illegal to sell them except behind pharmacy counters.

Beginning August 28, these pouches, branded as Zonnic, will be completely banned from convenience stores and gas station shelves. Flavours such as Berry Frost and Tropic Breeze will be recalled, and only menthol and mint flavours will be permitted in pharmacies.

“Everything designed to target youth — it’s over,” Health Minister Mark Holland told CBC News on Thursday.

The federal government has been pledging to address the issue of nicotine pouches for nearly 10 months. Health groups have raised alarms about the potential for teenagers to use these pouches and become addicted to nicotine.

“It has been deeply disturbing to see so many young people becoming addicted to these nicotine pouches who have never interacted with cigarettes,” Holland said.

Holland has accused Imperial Tobacco, the manufacturer of the pouches, of exploiting a legal loophole to gain approval from Health Canada.

“We were duped,” Holland told CBC News last November.

In June, the federal government passed legislation granting the health minister enhanced powers to unilaterally impose restrictions on sales, advertising, manufacturing, and importation of harmful products or those not used as intended.

“We never know what new tactic they’ll use next to target our children,” Holland said, referring to tobacco companies.

The federal government will give Imperial Tobacco six months to modify its packaging and advertising. The new packaging must feature an addiction warning on the front label, and any youth-targeted advertising must be revised by the end of February.

Holland expressed concern that these measures may be too late for some.

“I’m very concerned that there are kids who are already addicted. I am very concerned that tobacco companies have already achieved their goal,” he said. “It repulses me.”

Eric Gagnon, Vice-President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada, suggested that Holland has a “personal vendetta” against the company, which underwent a two-year approval process to legally sell nicotine pouches.

“Apparently because we’re a tobacco company, we’re treated differently than anyone else,” Gagnon told CBC News. “The biggest losers right now are the adult smokers who have been using Zonnic.”

It's not a complete ban
Under former Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Health Canada approved Zonnic in July 2023 under natural health product regulations as a smoking cessation aid. Similar flavoured pouches are available in Europe for recreational use.

A single small pouch — placed between the gum and cheek — releases nicotine equivalent to smoking three to four cigarettes. Health Canada states that these pouches are intended for heavy smokers who are trying to quit.

Since Zonnic does not contain tobacco and is not inhaled, it does not fall under existing tobacco or vaping regulations.

Until now, there were no restrictions on the pouches’ flavours, packaging, advertising, or points of sale. In most provinces, aside from B.C. and Quebec, young people could purchase Zonnic at convenience stores and gas stations.

Imperial Tobacco has claimed that Zonnic is not aimed at minors and instructs clerks to verify age before selling. The company also argues that making Zonnic accessible in stores could aid smokers in quitting. Imperial has vigorously opposed the federal restrictions.

“People say they like it more and more,” Ottawa convenience store owner John Zyadh told CBC News. “People believe it’s safer for their health and they save a lot compared to cigarettes.”

Health groups have not sought an outright ban on nicotine pouches but have urged Ottawa to regulate their presentation and marketing—such as their candy-like flavours, colorful packaging, and appealing advertisements—and to make it harder for minors to purchase them.

“We’re not asking for smokers to be denied access; we’re asking for limits on how they’re marketed,” said Cynthia Callard, Executive Director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.

With the school season approaching, Callard believes the new restrictions are timely.

“The fall term is crucial for setting norms among kids and introducing new products, whether they’re fidget spinners, vaping products, or nicotine pouches,” she said.

Ottawa has not adequately tracked teenage use
It remains unclear how many teenagers have tried the pouches or become addicted because Ottawa has not tracked this product.

Zonnic entered the Canadian market around the same time Health Canada ceased major data collection on tobacco and nicotine use, said Callard.

The Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, which provided rapid data on usage, was canceled last year. CBC News repeatedly asked Health Canada about the survey’s cancellation; the department said it was a short-term replacement for another survey terminated in 2019.

“It mysteriously disappeared,” Callard said.

This data gap emerged at a critical time for public health, as vaping grew in popularity and nicotine pouches were introduced, said David Hammond, a public health researcher at the University of Waterloo who studies nicotine use.

“To some extent, we are flying blind,” he said.

Hammond’s recent data suggests rising nicotine pouch use among Canadian youth, consistent with the trends observed when vaping was first introduced.

“Our experience with vaping, which can be an effective smoking cessation tool, shows that some of that has happened,” he said. “But the clearest evidence is that there are more young people using nicotine products today than a decade ago, which is unprecedented.”

Hammond also emphasized the need for tracking the effectiveness of nicotine pouches in helping adults quit smoking, as claimed by Imperial.

“We still have 4 to 5 million adult smokers in Canada. Many seek help to quit, but many will avoid this product due to its youth-oriented branding,” he said.

More data is necessary to keep up with an evolving tobacco industry, Hammond added.

“It’s very challenging for any government to address this issue effectively,” he said.

“We need to move past a situation where the industry introduces products and we remain unaware until a year or two later.”