Federal Health Minister Mark Holland is pushing for new powers to restrict or ban the sale of tobaccoless-nicotine products from Canadian shelves, such as Zonnic, despite being a strong supporter of decriminalizing toxic opioids.
Holland has been the face of the disastrous ‘safe supply’ programs that legalize the transfer and use of drugs like fentanyl and heroin to everyone, including vulnerable teenagers. Trudeau’s comically out-of-touch Health Minister has drawn the line at tobaccoless nicotine pouches, a tool often used by smokers to quit.
Holland is looking to place restrictions on the sale, advertising, manufacture, and importation of the cigarette alternative.
A reporter asked Holland on Thursday why he’s so hellbent on restricting the sale of the nicotine pouches while being fine with flavoured alcohol, which, like Zonnic, is only for individuals 19+.
“The reality is nicotine is a wickedly addictive substance,” Holland said, further noting that the product was marketed to Health Canada—when approved—as a cessation tool.
“Yet the marketing and the flavours addicted all kinds of kids,” he said, adding that “huge cohorts” of kids are now addicted to nicotine via the flavoured pouches.
According to recent findings of Health Canada’s Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 29% of students had at least once smoked an e-cigarette, among 61,096 youth in grades 7 through 12 polled.
Tobacco and nicotine
Holland admitted earlier this week that he doesn’t actually know of the harm that the nicotine pouches are causing.
However, the minister said on Thursday that nicotine addiction is “disastrous to your health.”
The advocacy group Rights4Vapers also held a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday where they criticized the Trudeau government’s potential ban on flavoured vapour products.
“Most of the adult vapours I have met are convinced that this is the best way to get off of smoking tobacco,” said lawyer Douglas Elliot. “It is like comparing getting punched in the nose versus getting shot by a bullet.”
Elliot further suggested such bans would only lead to an underground market, which has been shown to fuel gangs and the illegal firearm trade. He is worried that feds are being influenced by “anti-choice lobbyists.”
