Heart & Stroke thrilled with federal government's decisive action that will keep nicotine pouches out of hands of Canada's youth

Health Minister Holland protects young people from Big Tobacco's latest addictive product  

TORONTO, Aug. 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Heart & Stroke congratulates Health Minister Mark Holland and the federal government for taking key steps to help curb the sale of nicotine pouches to kids in Canada.

Minister Holland today announced Health Canada will ban all nicotine pouch flavours except mint and menthol, add health warnings to packages, impose marketing and packaging restrictions, and restrict their placement to behind the counter at pharmacies. Some of these changes come into effect next Wednesday and others six months later.

"Nicotine pouches had threatened to trap a new generation into nicotine addiction. But Minister Holland's announcement today will protect kids from these poisonous products," says Doug Roth, Heart & Stroke CEO. "We applaud the federal government for these important changes to protect young people from these dangerous products and look forward to their implementation."

One measure that was not addressed was a ban on sales to minors. Although this will ensure that youth access to legitimate smoking cessation products is not inadvertently restricted, it should be carefully monitored. "It will be very critical for the federal government to evaluate this gap in six months' time to make sure industry does not exploit it," says Roth.

Last summer, Health Canada approved flavoured nicotine pouches for sale under the Natural Health Product Regulations as a smoking cessation aid for adults. Big Tobacco took advantage of a loophole in these regulations to aggressively market the pouches by selling and promoting them in convenience stores and gas stations, packaging them in colourful, small packages that might as well hold candy, and with lifestyle advertising targeting young people.

Heart & Stroke was among the health organizations that had called for Minister Holland to roll back Health Canada's approval until stricter rules to protect kids were in place.

"The tobacco industry has a long history of inventing products that hook young people into the cycle of addiction. First it was cigarettes, then vapes and now nicotine pouches. These new measures are good news, but there's still more work to be done," Roth says. "We're hopeful that stronger regulations to protect young people from vaping, such as banning all vape flavours except tobacco, are next on the federal government's to-do list."

About Heart & Stroke

Life. We don't want you to miss it. That's why Heart & Stroke has been leading the fight to beat heart disease and stroke for more than 70 years. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don't miss out on precious moments. Together, with the generous support of our donors, partners, and volunteers, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy. Heartandstroke.ca @heartandstroke

SOURCE Heart and Stroke Foundation

Contact Information: Stephanie Lawrence, [email protected], 613-290-4236