On November 30th, according to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Health Minister Mark Holland announced that they would quickly address the existing “loopholes” surrounding the flavored nicotine product Zonnic, released by Imperial Tobacco Canada. Previously, the Canadian Health Department had approved the sale of flavored nicotine pouches without any restrictions on advertising or sales methods.
Holland stated that “the behavior and intentions of the tobacco industry have raised serious concerns, as they appear to want to addict new young people to nicotine, which is appalling, and we want to address this issue.”
Earlier this month, six national health organizations called on the central government to immediately regulate the advertising and sale of flavored nicotine pouches, which were launched in gas stations and convenience stores nationwide in October.
Despite Zonnic not containing tobacco, and each nicotine pouch containing less than 4 milligrams of nicotine, and not being inhaled, it is not included in any existing federal or provincial tobacco or e-cigarette legislation.
Holland expressed that he takes responsibility for this and vows to strictly review the approval process for nicotine products.
The Canadian Department of Health has stated that Imperial Tobacco must conduct annual self-reports and “identify any appeal or abuse of their products among young people.”
The Canadian Ministry of Health stated in a declaration:
Marketing targeted at young people will be considered deceptive advertising and may trigger post-listing compliance action.
According to the Canadian Department of Health, decisions regarding product sales locations and age restrictions are determined by individual provinces and territories.
