B.C. restricts nicotine pouch sales

A popular product that helps people quit smoking is being put behind the counter to keep it out of the hands of minors in B.C.

As part of new Ministry of Health regulations, nicotine pouch products will now only be available through a pharmacist.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the new regulation falls under the pharmacy operations and drug scheduling act.

“It’s clear. It will apply to all buccal nicotine pouches. And all of them will be sold behind the counter at a pharmacy, under the direction of a pharmacist,” Dix said.

On Wednesday, B.C. government officials said they’re taking this action because of the trend of young people using products like this recreationally.

“Wherever possible, we want to prevent kids from coming into contact with nicotine, and we certainly want to avoid products that experts are concerned have been designed in order to appeal to children, to hook them early, and set them on a lifetime of nicotine dependence,” Premier David Eby said.

But Imperial Tobacco Canada, the distributor of the nicotine pouch product ZONNIC, tells The Leader Spirit it’s being singled out because it’s a tobacco company.

Imperial Tobacco adds it’s skeptical the new rules, which came into effect Wednesday, will actually stop young people from abusing products intended to help people quit smoking.

“When you say, ‘I’m going to protect kids, and I’m going to ban these products,’ nobody is going to argue with that. But at the end of the day, does it really have an impact?” said Eric Gagnon, vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada.

“We don’t believe it does. For this product to be sold behind the counter in pharmacies, we don’t have a problem. In other provinces, with pharmacies, we’re already telling pharmacists to put it behind the counter.”

Gagnon adds that if governments want to stop the problem, they should go after illegal resellers first.

Colette Lees, a substance use liaison with the Surrey School District, couldn’t say how widespread the use of ZONNIC is in her school district, but she says it’s a newer trend.

“Because it’s a small pouch that’s inserted close to the gum, a youth can use it even in a gym class. They can use it in a science class,” Lees said.

“It just pops up inside the mouth, it’s really hard to detect, and the packaging is so small that it’s stored in, that it’s easily put into a pocket or a backpack.”

Lees adds she’s hopeful the new restrictions will be successful.

“It’s something that is slowly being introduced, and I think that’s why the announcement today was really important,” Lees said. “It’s hitting at a really key time, before it’s something that becomes more widespread.”