Federal Minister of Health Mark Holland says Ottawa will act quickly to regulate flavoured nicotine pouches currently marketed as a smoking cessation product.

Health Canada approved the nicotine pouches which are marketed in colourful packages under brand names like ZONNIC and Zyn, much to the alarm of groups like the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco.

Last week ACT issued a release expressing its concern about the nicotine product and its attractiveness especially to young people.

Minister Holland this week indicated that government was “duped” but Executive Director of ACT, Kevin Coady wonders how that is possible.

“I’m puzzled by it,” says Coady “how did it get through…Health Canada in the first place?” He says “it happened so quickly, it’s frightening, and it shouldn’t be happening that way.”

Imperial Tobacco meanwhile says it is disappointed that minister Mark Holland was “misinformed” about the company’s new smoking cessation product and attacked the company rather than having “an open discussion based on facts.”

President and CEO of ITCAN Frank Silva says the company is committed to “reducing the health impact” of its business and it stands by ZONNIC to help make that happen.