MONTREAL, Aug. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Tomorrow marks one year since the former federal Health Minister forced ZONNIC, the first Health Canada approved cessation tool in nicotine pouch format, behind pharmacy counters. Imperial Tobacco Canada (Imperial) is sounding the alarm: easy access has suffered, the illicit market has exploded, pharmacists are faced with additional administrational burdens and adult smokers trying to quit are paying the price.

New internal data released last week by Imperial shows access to ZONNIC immediately dropped when the federal Ministerial Order came into effect a year ago, pushing the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) pouches behind pharmacy counters, and banning all flavours except mint and menthol, on August 28, 2024. This move opened a flood gate of easily accessible, illicit, and unregulated nicotine pouches.

The double standard is evident. Virtually all other NRTs for sale in Canada are not subject to these barriers. Those NRTs are sold in a variety of flavours, over the counter in pharmacies and in the same places where people buy their cigarettes.

The policy has also delivered a direct hit to the Canadian economy, jeopardizing the livelihoods of some of the 200,000 Canadians who depend on convenience retailing by reducing a key revenue stream that helps small businesses remain competitive. While the convenience channel lost access to ZONNIC, pharmacists are now faced with significant additional administrative burdens. Imperial estimates that roughly 1,000,000 hours are lost in pharmacy practices, amounting to millions of Dollars.

"Having access to NRT products in pharmacies is very important as the counselling and recommendations of pharmacists often play a crucial role in the complicated cessation journey of smokers", said Eric Gagnon, VP of corporate and regulatory affairs at Imperial, "but access has to be seamless to maximize the success rate and the already stretched pharmacists don't need to be involved in every purchase act of this NRT product".

What has happened is that unregulated, high-nicotine pouches - some with more than 10 times the legal nicotine limit - are now widely available illicitly online and through the black market. Over the last year alone, an estimated 500 million illegal pouches were sold. And cigarette sales jumped by 2.8% over that time.

"What was meant to protect public health has done the opposite," said Eric Gagnon, "by removing the first science-backed nicotine pouch from convenient access, the government handed the market over to illegal, unregulated products."

ZONNIC was approved by Health Canada in July 2023 as a Natural Health Product for smoking cessation and is recognized by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) as a fast-acting cessation tool for adults who smoke.

Prior to the Order, ZONNIC was not only sold in pharmacies but in retail environments where cigarettes are sold as well, with strict compliance on packaging, placement, and youth access. Its market presence was linked to reduced cigarette sales in multiple regions.

"Instead of helping smokers quit, this decision has put barriers in their way," said Gagnon. "It's now easier to buy a pack of cigarettes or an illegal high-dose pouch than it is to get a licensed, regulated product designed to help you quit. That's indefensible public health policy."

Imperial is looking forward to discussing solutions with the new Minister of Health, such as making ZONNIC accessible at the front counter of the pharmacy as well as in places where adult smokers buy their cigarettes. This would reduce the burden on over-stretched pharmacists as well as give seamless and wide access to adult smokers while continuing to ensure youth protection, as was the case with ZONNIC before the Order.

Only by revising the current NRT regulations can Canada significantly accelerate the stagnant smoking rate decline (currently at over 11%) and make real progress toward its goal of becoming a smoke free country by cutting smoking rates to below 5% by 2035.

About Imperial Tobacco Canada

Imperial Tobacco Canada is the leading tobacco and nicotine company in Canada, part of the global BAT group. Our mission at BAT is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by promoting a Smokeless World. We envision a future where smokeless products replace cigarettes, encouraging smokers to make a Switch to Better.

Imperial is committed to advancing THR through transparency, innovation, and collaboration. One such initiative is Omni™, a platform developed by our parent company BAT, to support education and stakeholder engagement around THR. Omni™ serves as a dynamic resource for those working toward a smoke-free future.

SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada