On February 7, the British Columbia (BC) government announced that starting from that day, nicotine pouch products will be limited to only pharmacy counters. The aim is to protect young people from the harm and addiction of nicotine.<\/p>\n
The product targeted this time is Imperial Tobacco Canada’s Zonnic oral nicotine pouch. Products to help people quit smoking come in flavors such as Tropic Breeze and Chili Mint. It contains up to 4 milligrams of nicotine and is now available at convenience stores.<\/p>\n
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said there is a trend among young people to enjoy smoking cessation products as an alternative to cigarettes. He also expressed concern about Zonnic’s “youth appeal,” including its colorful packaging and marketing, saying, “Distribution of these products should be restricted so that they can reach people trying to cure nicotine addiction. “We must not increase nicotine addiction among the population.”<\/p>\n
Premier David Eby said at a press conference that in the future people will have to go through a pharmacist to purchase nicotine pouches, which he hopes will create a barrier for young people to purchase them. Unlike cigarettes and vapes, nicotine pouches can currently be purchased by minors.<\/p>\n
The federal government has the power to ban sales to minors, and Minister Dix said, “I believe there will be some movement at some point.’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"