Opinion: Nicotine pouches should be as easy to buy as cigarettes

If the goal is truly to reduce smoking, access to a solution should never be harder than access to the problem. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Postmedia files

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Last month, during national non-smoking week, federal Minister of Health Marjorie Michel encouraged Canadians to reflect on the benefits of a smoke-free life — and, above all, to ensure that support and resources are available for those who want to quit smoking. She also emphasized that, despite progress toward the goal of reducing tobacco use to below five per cent by 2035, many people still face barriers to quitting, and that programs must continue to evolve to better meet the needs of communities.

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I couldn’t agree more. It is precisely in that spirit that I launched I Want My Pouches, a new Canadian consumer advocacy movement. Our goal is simple: assure logical, consistent, and practical access to nicotine pouches for adults who want to move away from cigarettes.

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Like many smokers, I tried to quit for nearly 20 years, on and off. Once I managed to stay smoke-free for almost two years. But I relapsed — and I know all too well that willpower isn’t always enough.

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Recently, I finally resolved to quit for good. I tried different approaches. Then I discovered nicotine pouches. For the first time, I found an option that truly worked for me — not a “miracle,” but a tool that, for me, makes quitting more achievable.

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And that’s where the absurdity begins.

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In Canada, buying cigarettes is incredibly easy: you can get them in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores — everywhere. But to obtain nicotine pouches, the current federal framework imposes a far more complicated process: they’re only available in pharmacies, behind the counter, with very real barriers.

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I’ve lived it: finding a pharmacy that’s supposed to carry them, waiting, then leaving empty-handed because they don’t have the product. Or finding a pharmacy that does have them — only to be forced into an over-the-counter conversation while other customers are waiting for their prescriptions. What should be simple becomes discouraging, sometimes humiliating and often ineffective.

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The situation is even worse in rural communities. Some of my smoker friends live in places where there’s no pharmacy nearby. They are essentially being told: cigarettes are accessible everywhere, but a smoke-free alternative requires a detour, often of a completely unrealistic distance.

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Public common sense is clear. A pan-Canadian Léger survey shows a real disconnect between current restrictions and what Canadians believe makes sense: 73 per cent of respondents say cessation aids should be available in the same retail locations as cigarettes. What could be more sensible?

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Our request to the federal government is simple and reasonable: allow adults to access nicotine pouches where they already buy cigarettes — in convenience stores, neighbourhood retailers and other accessible outlets. If the goal is truly to reduce smoking, access to a solution should never be harder than access to the problem.

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T.J. Peric, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy, is founder of I Want My Pouches.

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