New Zealand is moving to legalize commercial nicotine pouch sales, while Saskatchewan adults using pouches to quit smoking still face a pharmacist and a paper trail.
A Cabinet decision in September 2026 "gave the green light to progressing legislation to legalize commercial sales" of nicotine pouches and other oral nicotine products, according to a November 5 briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre, which opposes the move.
The Cabinet paper from New Zealand Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello said daily smoking in New Zealand has fallen from 16.4% to 6.8% since 2011, with the biggest drops after vapes became widely available in 2018.
"New Zealand's experience shows that the availability of lower-risk substitutes has proven to be a successful strategy for reducing our smoking rates," the paper said.
It called for rules that "enable the expansion of reduced-harm options where appropriate to support people to quit smoking," with final recommendations due by July 2027.
"There needs to be a robust assessment of the potential harms and benefits of ONPs [oral nicotine products] before proceeding with any legislation," said Calvin Cochran, the centre's science lead.
Canada has gone the other way. Health Canada's August 2024 order keeps pouches behind the pharmacy counter in mint and menthol only, and federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel said on September 22 that loosening the rule is "not something I'm considering."
The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals requires a pharmacist to review the buyer's history in the Pharmaceutical Information Program on each request, then record the rationale, product, and quantity for every sale.
The burden falls hardest outside the cities. A March 2026 review of Saskatchewan's hospital pharmacist workforce rated service impacts in rural and northern areas "significant" and found pharmacists moving to urban settings.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said on November 3 that pharmacists help ensure "patients have access to the right care as close to home as possible."
The I Want My Pouches campaign has asked Premier Scott Moe and Cockrill to press Ottawa to restore convenience store sales.
"Adults should not have easier access to cigarettes than to nicotine pouches," said spokesperson TJ Peric.