Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel says she is not considering changes to rules restricting nicotine pouch sales, citing ongoing concerns about illicit distribution and youth access.
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Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel says she is not considering loosening regulations that restrict the sale of nicotine pouches, even as tobacco control groups and researchers press Ottawa to address what they describe as a growing illicit market.
Health Canada currently regulates nicotine pouches as a smoking-cessation aid and limits where and how they can be sold. Pouches are restricted to adults, not sold for recreational use, and must be kept behind the counter at pharmacies, with only one approved brand, Zonnic, available for sale since 2024.
Michel, speaking Tuesday, said she agrees the illicit market is a real concern but is not weighing changes to the existing regulatory approach. Tobacco control advocates argue stronger enforcement is needed to curb unauthorized sales occurring online and in storefronts, where they say youth are able to access products despite the rules.
Zonnic, made by Imperial Tobacco, is sold in four-milligram pouches with restricted flavours intended to reduce their appeal to children. Advocates for keeping the current restrictions say the policy framework is designed to manage youth exposure while still allowing adult access through a regulated channel.
A key driver of the debate is lobbying by groups connected to major tobacco interests. Unsmoke Canada, described as part of Rothman, Benson and Hedges and the Canadian subsidiary of Philip Morris International, has urged the federal government to allow nicotine pouches to be sold openly in retail stores, similar to cigarettes, arguing this would better control the illicit market.
Tobacco control leaders say that argument is undermined by the product’s presence among youth. Michel noted that brands entering Canada, including Zyn from Philip Morris, are making their way into youth hands despite existing restrictions, pointing to research that links increased access to the regulated marketplace’s limits.
Flory Doucas, co-director of the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control, said the government’s challenge is enforcement rather than regulation design. She argued that inadequate enforcement creates a “narrative” risk by allowing industry to portray the restrictions as ineffective, potentially setting conditions for governments to weaken rules.
Doucas also raised concern that lobbying efforts by tobacco industry-aligned groups have extended into political offices, including the Prime Minister’s Office. She said it is worrying that these campaigns have reached senior political channels, while youth access and illicit sales continue.
The pressure to change has also appeared in political statements and previous reporting. The National Post reported earlier this month that the Liberal government was open to the idea of loosening restrictions after meetings involving convenience-store industry lobbyists and senior Liberal officials tied to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office. Separately, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives pledged in the 2025 election campaign to “free the Zyn,” and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wrote to Carney last March arguing restrictions create barriers for adults trying to quit smoking and have contributed to black-market growth.
Michel said one particular difficulty is monitoring illicit online sales. She said it is not realistic to trace every package in the illicit market, adding that her department favours a public health approach focused on education and helping people make informed choices about their health.
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada and other groups issued a statement warning that nicotine pouch use is rising among young Canadians and arguing that allowing pouches to be sold more openly would make the product easier for youth to access. They also urged the government to resist lobbying that seeks retail-style distribution changes.
Cynthia Callard, executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, said the industry’s push for retail sales is consistent with how tobacco companies market nicotine products. She argued Canada is moving toward what she called a “poly-market,” where nicotine consumers may use different products at different times, and she said any national strategy should address both vapes and pouches while ensuring meaningful enforcement against illicit sales.
Michel’s comments set out Ottawa’s position at a time when advocates say enforcement is not keeping pace with the availability of unauthorized products, including those entering Canada from brands not currently approved for regulated sales.
The outcome of this policy debate could affect how nicotine replacement products are accessed in Canada, with implications for youth health protection, the management of cessation aids, and how government responds to cross-channel illicit supply.
Michel’s stance indicates the federal government is maintaining the current regulatory framework for now, prioritizing enforcement and public health measures over expanding legal retail access.
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