Preventing harms of nicotine replacement therapies

Ottawa – There are growing concerns that the popularity of new and emerging Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) is leading to recreational use by people who do not smoke, and, in particular, youth under 18 years of age.

Mark Holland, Minister of Health, is announcing that Health Canada is introducing new measures for NRTs through a Ministerial Order to reduce the appeal of, access to, and use of these products by young people for recreational purposes, ensuring access is restricted to adults who use these products to help them quit smoking.

The Order introduces new measures that will:

• Prohibit advertising or promotion, including labelling and packaging, that could be appealing to youth.
• Require NRTs in new and emerging formats, such as nicotine pouches, to be sold only by a pharmacist or an individual working under the supervision of a pharmacist, and to be kept behind the pharmacy counter.
• Prohibit NRTs in new and emerging formats, such as nicotine pouches, from being sold with flavours other than mint or menthol.
• Require a front of package nicotine addiction warning, as well as a clear indication of the intended use as a smoking cessation aid for adults trying to quit smoking.
• Require manufacturers to submit mock-ups of labels and packages for all new or amended NRT licenses to ensure no youth appeal.

For adults who smoke and are trying to quit, smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine gums, lozenges, sprays and inhalers, which have an established history of appropriate use, will continue to be available in a wide range of retail locations, with a variety of flavours.

Nicotine is a powerfully addictive substance, and youth are especially vulnerable to its negative effects, which include harming the part of the brain that controls mood, learning, and attention. Even using small amounts of nicotine may increase the risk of developing a dependence in the future, since youth can become dependent at lower levels of exposure than adults.

NRTs are regulated as drugs under the Food and Drugs Act. All NRTs must be approved by Health Canada and carry an approved health claim to be legally sold in Canada.