A campaign is underway to ease the restrictions of nicotine pouches across the country, in hopes of allowing them to be sold at more locations. In 2024, nicotine pouches were federally restricted to be sold at pharmacies only. However, a consumer group is looking to change that. I Want My Pouches is a campaign originating out of rural Quebec. Its founder, TJ Peric, started it because cigarettes are more accessible than pouches, particularly in rural areas. “A lot of smokers will go into a store thinking, ‘Maybe I can quit smoking.’ If they see something there, they are more apt to purchase the alternative,” said Peric. “Put them in front of the cigarettes. Give people the choice.” Peric himself used to smoke cigarettes in the past but uses pouches now instead. Two years ago, Peric’s godmother died of lung cancer. Having seen the health impacts of cigarettes firsthand, he now stresses the importance of finding a substitute. “It’s not pretty. I have seen what smoking does. What can I say about smoking? It’s not a good thing,” said Peric. A major reason why the sale of nicotine pouches was restricted was due to the rising number of youth using pouches recreationally. All flavoured pouches were pulled from shelves and now only mint flavour is available. Bethany Verma is the health promotion manager at Lung Saskatchewan. She said despite the federal regulation changes, youth usage of nicotine pouches is still on the rise. “The more we can make these products more difficult for youth to access, and the better education … hopefully we will see less youth become addicted to nicotine,” said Verma. Peric said smoking usage has changed over his lifetime and is optimistic about the future. “I hope these next generations see what smoking has done to their parents and grandparents and they choose a better path,” said Peric. The Government of Saskatchewan said the regulation and approval of nicotine-containing products fall under federal jurisdiction. Saskatchewan pharmacies are able to talk with tobacco users about their use, assess their readiness to quit and offer comprehensive supports.
