Why is Premier Eby making it so darn hard to quit smoking?
VANCOUVER, BC, May 1, 2024 /CNW/ - A quick Reddit search tells an unsurprising story. People who want to quit smoking are having a hard time thanks to Premier Eby's unnecessary and ill-conceived roadblocks.
On February 7, 2024, Eby's government pulled nicotine pouches from independent retailers and put them 'safely' behind the pharmacists' counters. Yet they were just as safe at local retailers because, like pharmacists, independent retailers were, by law, required to keep these products out of the reach of minors and ask for ID when making a sale.
Yet, here we are with people clambering for nicotine pouches to help them quit, and very few pouches to be found. Few pharmacies seem to be stocking them. People are confused and frustrated. Some are turning to expletive laden rants while others are turning to illegal sources for the pouches they desperately need to quit smoking. Others like Reddit user, JustBrowsinBCCS, are more cynical: "Yeah their big idea to stop a 'vaping style epidemic' by putting them in pharmacies is just going to make everyone go back to vaping or cigarettes."
Others share how they would much rather buy pouches from their local convenience store while filling up their tank and grabbing a coffee to go. It's part of their habit and makes it easier to quit. Reddit user, waistbandtucker69, sums it up well, "I just don't understand what the government thinks they are accomplishing by making products like this impossible to obtain."
Independent retailers are hearing the same thing from customers daily. "Regulars come in, frustrated that the government is making it so hard for them to quit," recalls Singh, a local store owner in Nanaimo. "I feel for them; they're so earnest in their desire to quit. But, what can I do? My hands are tied until Eby starts listening to real people like me and my customers."
Singh and hundreds of store owners across British Columbia are calling on Premier Eby to do the right thing for people who want to quit smoking and do the right thing for the independent retailers customers rely on. Premier Eby must act now to:
- Allow the sale of nicotine pouches at independent retailers.
- Open the lines of communication with independent retailers and their customers on decisions that impact them.
- Focus on consumer safety by cracking down on illegal tobacco, illegal vaping products and illegal nicotine pouches.
Retailers 4 Safe Communities is an advocacy group calling for action against contraband tobacco in British Columbia. Our goal is to raise awareness about the harmful impact that contraband tobacco has on British Columbia's convenience store operators and communities.
https://www.retailers4safecommunities.ca
SOURCE Convenience Retailers Alliance
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