Canadian health organizations are calling on the federal government to suspend the sale of flavored nicotine pouches until protections are put in place to prevent youth consumption and addiction.

At a press conference on Tuesday, groups including the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Lung Association said there is a need for "immediate action" from Health Minister Mark Holland and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Yaara Saks either to reclassify these pouches as a prescription product or suspend them.

For his part, Flory Doucas, co-director and spokesperson for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control, said: "These are measures that can be implemented quickly without regular regulatory amendments. They can simply be implemented administratively."

Meanwhile, Health Canada approved the sale of flavored nicotine pouches branded Zonnic in July as a licensed natural health product for nicotine replacement therapy, where small tobacco-free pouches are placed between the cheek and gum to release nicotine, which can apparently help reduce dependence on smoking.

Imperial Tobacco Canada began selling these products in October.

Health Canada also approved the sale of flavored nicotine pouches branded Zonnic in July under the natural health products regulations as a smoking cessation product used as a nicotine replacement therapy, a product that replaces some of the nicotine previously obtained from smoking, thereby reducing the need for it.

In October, Imperial Tobacco Canada started selling these products.

Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, also said: "With appealing flavors like Tropic Breeze, Chill Mint, and Berry Frost, and with small colorful packaging that might contain candy, youth of course will want to buy them." "The devastating result is that youth will fall into the trap of nicotine addiction."

The federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act prohibits the sale of tobacco products and vaping products to anyone under the age of 18 and restricts the promotion of these products. All provinces also have legislation prohibiting the sale of tobacco products and vaping products to youth, with the age limit varying by province.

Eric Gagnon, Vice President of Legal and External Affairs at Imperial Tobacco, told CTV News: "We still believe it is important to put less harmful alternatives to smoking on the market." "We sell this product like any other smoking cessation product in Canada. We respect all rules and regulations and feel special because we are a tobacco company, and this is not the first time these health groups have done this."."

As it stands, the Zonnic nicotine pouch license also states that it should not be used by anyone under 18 years old.

However, according to the concerned health organizations, it is completely legal to sell these nicotine pouches to children of any age, since federal and provincial legislation does not apply to nicotine products approved under the Natural Health Products Regulations. The groups said this represents a "regulatory gap."

When Cynthia Callard, Executive Director of Doctors for a Smoke-Free Canada, was asked about the effect of these pouches on youth, she said data from the Canadian Paediatric Society shows that the younger one starts using nicotine, the harder it becomes to overcome addiction later in life.

The licensed natural health products database of Health Canada lists Zonnic as a "nicotine replacement therapy that can be used anytime and anywhere to temporarily control or quickly satisfy nicotine cravings."

In a statement to CTV News, a Health Canada spokesperson said the product should not be sold to minors, but ultimately it is up to provincial and territorial regulators to enforce age-related purchase restrictions.