HURON-PERTH – Customers may have noticed a new nicotine product, Zonnic, for sale across the region.
“Health Canada has approved the sale of flavoured nicotine pouches by Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. in such a way that the products can be legally sold to children of any age,” Dr. Miriam Klassen wrote in her report to Huron-Perth Public Health (HPPH) Board of Health on Dec. 8.
Because this product does not contain tobacco – it contains less than 4mg of nicotine each – and is not inhaled, it is not regulated by any existing federal or provincial tobacco or vaping legislation.
“Imperial Tobacco can promote these products on TV or on billboards across from schools, on social media, through lifestyle advertising, through free samples, and by other means,” Klassen wrote. “These pouches are being aggressively marketed and available in local convenience stores and gas stations. They are very appealing to youth and current regulations do not prohibit youth from purchasing them.”
According to Klassen’s report, nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco but do contain nicotine and are placed between the cheek and the gum.
Last month the organization Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada published a media release highlighting that a group of health organizations were urging the health ministers to take action against the sale of nicotine pouches.
The release asks nicotine pouches to be reclassified as prescription products, or to suspend the sale of nicotine pouches until the regulatory gap is closed, and; to establish a temporary moratorium on approval of any more nicotine pouch products, or any new category of nicotine products, under the Natural Health Product Regulations, until the regulatory gap is closed, unless the products are sold on a prescription basis.
According to Klassen’s report, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) has been calling on Health Canada to develop a comprehensive federal smoking, vaping, and nicotine strategy to reach a target of less than five per cent commercial tobacco use by 2035 with respect to all nicotine delivery products.
“Locally, in addition to monitoring trends, staff are looking to leverage collaborative tables to support a renewed and comprehensive federal smoking, vaping, and nicotine strategy,” Klassen wrote in her report.
Board of Health Chair, Huron East Mayor and Huron County Coun. Bernie MacLellan told the board that this Health Canada approval made no sense to him.
“I remember when we passed the no smoking bylaw years ago and what municipal councils went through to basically tell the public, ‘it doesn’t matter what you want to do this is the right thing to do and we are going to do it,’ and now for them to say you can advertise right outside of schools and there isn’t even an age limit to purchase these things, that just doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.
Klassen said there has been a lot of coordination among health units against this.
“I am already hearing that the government has recognized that this was a loophole and they are looking to close it,” she said. “It is just an example of how the industry quickly leverages any opportunity to increase their share of the market.”
Town of St Marys Coun. Marg Luna echoed MacLellan’s concerns.
“I was astounded that this has happened and I think this board should be vocal about this in a letter to Health Canada and/or alPHa to support the call to action,” she suggested.
South Huron Mayor and Huron County Coun. George Finch suggested the letter be sent to all Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) participants to ensure the letter is sent across the province.
With a unanimous vote, the board of health agreed to send a letter to show its support.
