UBCO expert says Canada should call for an all-out ban on nicotine pouches, regardless of the age of the user.
“Pop it in your mouth, tuck it under your upper lip and it tingles,” reads an Instagram ad for flavoured nicotine pouches. The pouches—approved for sale in Canada in July 2023—are seemingly marketed as a nicotine replacement therapy to help adults quit smoking.
But that’s not what Canada’s Minister of Health Mark Holland thinks. Last week he told the tobacco companies to “stay away from our kids” just before Health Canada issued a public advisory and a notice of intent to explore legislative and regulatory options to protect youth from these products.
In February of this year, the BC government introduced its own regulations, limiting the sale of nicotine pouches to pharmacies.
Dr. Laura Struik, an Assistant Professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing, researches the health behaviours of young people and has a particular focus on tobacco and nicotine use, including interventions to prevent youth uptake.
She goes a step further than the health minister, advocating for a total ban on these products—regardless of the age of the user—citing a lack of research on their health impacts and Canada’s treaty obligations.
“As a signatory to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we’re obliged under this public health treaty to ensure any new nicotine products are less harmful than cigarettes, are efficacious smoking cessation aids and are only marketed towards adults.”
Other countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand and Norway have banned nicotine pouches for not sufficiently meeting these requirements.
“However, Canada is on its back foot as far as much needed research goes before these products should have been released to the market,” says Dr. Struik. “A ban is consistent with our commitment to this treaty, and for that matter, our commitment to the health of Canadians, especially our youth.”
Dr. Struik is available to provide expert commentary on the changing regulations on these new nicotine products and their potential health impacts.
Dr. Laura Struik (she/her)
Assistant Professor, UBC Okanagan School of Nursing
Tel: 250 864 7879
Email: laura.struik@ubc.ca
Language(s): English
