Canadian health authorities under pressure to expand the distribution of nicotine pouches

The Canadian federal government is considering amending the rules governing the sale of nicotine pouches, with the possibility of allowing certain authorized products to return to convenience stores and other general retail outlets.[1]. According to a government source, no decision has yet been made, and the issue is not currently a government priority. This discussion concerns the distribution model introduced in 2024 for certain new nicotine replacement products. At that time, nicotine pouches were removed from general retail outlets and primarily directed towards pharmacies, notably to limit their accessibility and appeal to young people. Reviving this issue is part of a broader strategy by the tobacco industry, which is lobbying for the widespread marketing of these products.

Products sold in pharmacies, despite their unfounded usefulness for weaning and their appeal to young people

Since 2024, some nicotine pouches have been sold by pharmacists or under their supervision, behind the counter. Ministerial regulations established under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also restricted mint and menthol flavours and prohibited any packaging that could make the product appealing to minors.

The regulatory status of these products changed in January 2026. Pouches containing 4 mg of nicotine or less per unit can be considered non-prescription natural health products, while those exceeding 4 mg fall under the requirements for prescription drugs. This status does not authorize their sale in general retail stores.

The case of Zonnic, a sachet containing 4 mg of nicotine, illustrates this trend. Before the 2024 restrictions, the product was sold in convenience stores, gas stations, and pharmacies in certain regions of Canada. It is now primarily distributed through pharmacies. Its Canadian license is held by Nicoventures Trading Limited, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco, and Imperial Tobacco Canada handles its exclusive distribution.

As a reminder, these products are not recognized by public health experts as appropriate nicotine replacement therapies for smoking cessation. A 2025 study conducted by researchers at the Ottawa Heart Institute concluded that these products may help reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day but do not appear to increase smoking cessation rates. According to the WHO, their highly addictive nature, their already established health risks, and the lack of scientific knowledge about their long-term effects make them products of the tobacco industry designed to expand its markets. This is particularly true for heated tobacco products.

The 2025 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUS) revealed that 5.8% of Ontario students reported using a nicotine bag at least once in the previous year, a percentage that rose to 11.7% among 12-year-olds.^e year[2].

Provinces and distributors are lobbying for expanded sales

Manufacturers and distributors are lobbying to relax existing regulations and are making their demands heard through political channels. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in particular, has asked Premier Mark Carney to review the restrictions, pointing out that licensed nicotine pouches are subject to stricter distribution rules than cigarettes and some other nicotine products. Ontario has also raised the issue with the federal government.

Similarly, the Canadian convenience store chain Alimentation Couche-Tard has approached federal officials, including the office of the Canadian Prime Minister. A potential amendment would allow convenience stores and other general retailers to once again sell certain permitted nicotine pouches. For Zonnic, this would primarily involve re-establishing distribution channels that existed before the 2024 restrictions. For Alimentation Couche-Tard, this lobbying comes at a time when nicotine pouch sales are booming in its U.S. subsidiary., recently marked by regulatory pressure from the industry and suspicions of serious conflicts of interest from the Trump administration.

This intense industrial pressure, the arguments of which are echoed by some political leaders, constitutes a violation of the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), ratified by Canada. Under Article 5.3, the country has committed to strictly separating public health policies from the economic interests of the tobacco industry and all its allies.

Health Canada, for its part, reiterated that the proliferation of products "« illegals »", one of the arguments used by the nicotine lobby to weaken regulations, constitutes a "« serious concern »"but that there is no link between the rules requiring the sale of nicotine sachets behind pharmacy counters and black market products.

Control of unauthorized products remains in place.

Reconsidering distribution channels does not mean abandoning control of nicotine pouches. Health Canada continues its actions against unauthorized or non-compliant products. In June 2026, the agency recalled unauthorized ZYN 6 mg and Siberia 35 mg pouches. In July, it also recalled Supernova and Supreme products containing between 6 and 15 mg of nicotine, as well as certain unauthorized products containing 4 mg.

The federal government is currently maintaining the restrictions put in place in 2024, while considering the possibility of expanding commercial access to certain low-dose nicotine products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Christopher Nardi, Feds 'open' to loosening rules banning nicotine pouch sales at convenience stores, National Post, published September 9, 2026, accessed September 15, 2026

[2]Todd Prochnau, We need to know about youth nicotine pouch use, The Hamilton Spectator, published September 8, 2026, accessed September 15, 2026

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