There’s a new nicotine product on store shelves that’s causing some concern—that’s because you don’t have to be of legal age to purchase it.
British Columbia is the first province to start cracking down on the sale of Zonnic products by removing them from corner stores and allowing them to be purchased only from behind the counter and only at pharmacies.
Nicotine packages, sold under the brand Zonnic, started popping up in local corner stores a few months ago. The pouches are comprised of synthetic tobacco and slowly releases nicotine into the body after being placed in one’s mouth.
Melissa Moore, program coordinator with the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, says the product is marketed as a tool to help smokers quit, but it’s also being pushed towards minors as there is no legal purchasing age.
Moore says they’re concerned the product is encouraging young people to use nicotine products, rather than helping people quit.
Moore says the product kind of fell through the cracks when going through the approval process as Health Canada approved them under their natural products guidelines. That means they weren’t tested the same way other cessation tools have been and it’s unclear what testing was conducted and if they’re actually effective.