Read articles from Canada

December 04, 2025 by cbc.ca

Researchers at UBCO warn that TikTok videos glamorizing nicotine pouch use are shaping a trendy image, particularly among youth. Despite Health Canada authorizing these pouches for adult smoking cessation, they're off-limits for under-18s. Dr. Laura Struik's analysis of 250 videos, totaling nearly 2 million shares, highlights how users portray pouches as seamless with daily life. The videos fail to address potential health risks like gum recession and heart problems from prolonged use. Struik suggests involving young people in policy discussions about these products. Health Canada is enforcing regulations on approved pouch brands due to concerns about unauthorized sales to minors.

December 02, 2025 by rebelnews.com

Nicotine pouches causing controversy in Canada due to harm to children, monopolies, rising black markets, and restricted industry regulations. Pouches, alternative to cigarettes, contain nicotine but lack full health understanding. Despite health risks, popular demand prompted growth. Regulators approved Zonnic by Imperial Tobacco as a nicotine replacement therapy. With minimal existing restrictions, critics pushed for tighter laws to protect youth. In 2024, Health Canada began stringent regulations, limiting sales to pharmacies and mint flavor only. While criticized for monopoly control, government action sought to limit accessibility but did not ban sales to minors. Pharmaceutical industry is scrutinized less for harmful products compared to tobacco industry.

December 01, 2025 by thetyee.ca

Quitting smoking is a challenging process that often requires appropriate support and effective tools. A recent recommendation from the legislature’s budget committee advises the government to consider expanding access to Health Canada–approved nicotine pouches as a smoking cessation aid. This recommendation appears in the committee’s report based on 16 public meetings and online submissions. The proposal would address last year’s policy change that placed Zonnic, the only approved nicotine pouch, behind the pharmacy counter. The hope is that the B.C. government will move forward with implementing this adjustment.

November 26, 2025 by thefirebreak.org

Maria Papaioannoy, a Canadian advocate for safer nicotine products, exposes the FCTC's closed-door decision-making at COP11, resembling a belief-driven system. GATC enforces FCTC policies aggressively. Concerns arise as policies seem to protect tobacco, hindering harm reduction. Canada is being used as a testing ground, shifting focus to nicotine control. Provinces like British Columbia and Quebec are influenced, impacting public health. Advocates call for transparency, evidence-based choices, and respect for experiences with safer nicotine products. The push for dialogue, advocacy, and empowerment against restrictive policies marks the beginning of a movement for safer choices worldwide.

November 19, 2025 by canadianaffairs.news

The WHO warns about new tobacco products targeting youth, leading to addiction. Despite progress, eight million still die from tobacco-related diseases yearly. Marketing e-cigarettes and nicotine products to teens is concerning, with usage nine times higher in adolescents than adults in 63 countries. Companies prioritize profits over public health. The WHO urges countries to regulate these products like traditional tobacco, with bans in some nations and strict controls recommended globally.

November 17, 2025 by winnipegsun.com

Policymakers throughout Canada have valid reasons to be concerned about vapes reaching vulnerable youth. The illicit market continues to grow nationwide, prompting many governments to take action. In their 2025 budgets, Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan each allocated funds to combat contraband tobacco and tackle the broader illicit market.

November 05, 2025 by torontosun.com

Health Canada is struggling to justify its decision to keep nicotine pouches out of convenience stores and restrict their sale to pharmacies. During a committee hearing, Deputy Health Minister Greg Orencsak acknowledged that the products were initially approved as a “less harmful” alternative to smoking and that Health Canada remains committed to helping Canadians quit. Despite this, the agency continues to support former health minister Mark Holland’s order requiring nicotine pouches to be sold only in pharmacies, limiting access to this effective smoking cessation aid.

October 21, 2025 by timescolonist.com

Attorney General Niki Sharma says the vaping industry is misleading young people through its advertising and packaging. British Columbia has already won a $3.6 billion settlement from tobacco companies over 18 years and now plans similar legal action against vaping firms. The structure of the lawsuit and the health-care costs linked to vaping are still being determined. While manufacturers claim vaping helps smokers quit tobacco, Sharma argues that because e-cigarettes contain addictive nicotine, they merely replace one harmful habit with another.

October 17, 2025 by gfn.tv

Maria Papaioannoy-Duic, founder and spokesperson of Rights for Vapers, speaks with Joanna Junak about the challenges Canadian vapers face in being heard in public health debates. Maria shares how her organization has worked tirelessly to educate consumers on safer nicotine alternatives, fight misinformation, and give a voice to those seeking harm reduction over prohibition.

October 16, 2025 by globalnews.ca

Albertan groups are urging federal health ministers to ban all flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches in Canada to deter youth vaping. Despite promises since 2021, the government has not implemented the ban. Concerns are raised about the popularity of vaping among students, prompting advocacy groups like SAAVE and Action on Smoking and Health to seek direct discussions with ministers at the upcoming meeting in Calgary. The focus is on protecting young Canadians from the allure of flavored vaping products.