A group of health organizations is urging regulators to close a gap which allows the sale of flavoured nicotine pouches by Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. to be legally sold to children of any age.
There are calls to reclassify nicotine pouches as a prescription product, or to suspend the sale of nicotine pouches until the regulatory gap is closed.
The Health Canada approval in July allowed Imperial to sell flavoured nicotine pouches under the Natural Health Product Regulations, with the products containing nicotine but not tobacco.
"This is a stunning development. It is absolutely incomprehensible that these flavoured nicotine products could be allowed on the market without adequate regulatory protections in place," said Cynthia Callard, Executive Director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. "While this decision was made prior to the appointment of the current Minister of Health and the Associate Minister of Health, we urge the Ministers to take immediate action to remedy this unacceptable situation, and to prevent nicotine addiction among youth. The Canadian public will not tolerate these new developments and this regulatory gap."
The health organizations claim Imperial Tobacco is now aggressively marketing these nicotine pouches by selling and promoting them in convenience stores and gas stations.
"This is the first time in more than 100 years that it is legal for a nicotine product from a tobacco company to be sold to minors in Canada," said Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. "Tobacco companies cannot be trusted. It is essential that the federal Health Ministers take action on an urgent basis."
The products can be promoted on TV or on billboards across from schools, on social media, through lifestyle advertising, through free samples, and may be located beside the candy and chocolate bar section.
"These nicotine pouches are clearly appealing to youth," pointed out Cunningham. "With attractive flavours such as Tropic Breeze, Chill Mint, and Berry Frost, and with colourful, small packages that might well hold candy, of course youth will want to buy them. The devastating result is that youth will become trapped into nicotine addiction."
Action on Smoking and Health, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Lung Association, Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac, Heart & Stroke, and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada are calling for immediate action.
"Have we not learned our lessons from e-cigarettes?" questioned Callard. "Given the increase in youth vaping, how is it possible that Health Canada would allow a new category of nicotine product on the market, sold by a tobacco company, with massively inadequate regulations in place? How can it possibly be legal to sell to children flavoured nicotine products from a tobacco company?"