EDMONTON — Alberta's Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, says Ottawa's restrictions governing the sale of nicotine pouches have created a barrier for rural Albertans looking to quit smoking, as the federal health minister claims she is not considering loosening regulations. "I believe the federal government has abandoned rural communities, forcing some Albertans to drive longer distances just to access a legal smoking cessation product at a pharmacy," wrote Nally in a statement sent to the Western Standard on Wednesday.The statement came in response to remarks by Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, who said on Tuesday that she is not considering easing regulations that require nicotine pouches to be sold solely behind pharmacy counters.."The federal government’s restrictions on nicotine pouches have created an illicit and unregulated market," Nally wrote. "These products are being sold with little oversight, unreliable age verification and unregulated flavours with names and branding that can appeal to youth."BC RCMP seized over $42,000 worth of illicit nicotine pouches while searching a pair of businesses on Sept. 16.The National Post reported on Sept. 9 that Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is open to loosening restrictions on nicotine pouches to help combat the product's illicit market. Michel said on Tuesday that the illicit market is an issue, but decreasing regulations is not under consideration..Nally and the UCP called on Carney's government in March to reform federal regulations on the products, claiming they not only drive consumers to illicit markets but also create barriers that direct consumers to more harmful products that are more readily available. "Alberta already has a well-regulated retail system with strict age-verification requirements for nicotine products," Nally wrote. "There is no reason regulated nicotine pouches cannot be sold through that same system, with clear rules and proper oversight.""The federal government should reverse its restrictions to create a more accountable system with better oversight to help keep these products out of the hands of youth."
