P.E.I.’s health minister says he intends to raise the minimum purchase age for both nicotine pouches and cannabis to 21, perhaps as early as fall 2026.
Nicotine pouches are sold as smoking cessation products. Brands like Zonnic can currently only be purchased from pharmacies, following a decision by Health Canada in 2024.
On May 5, Cory Deagle, the province’s health minister, was asked by his Progressive Conservative colleague, Hilton MacLennan, whether he would support restricting the sale of the products.
“Nicotine pouches are discreet, flavoured and highly addictive, yet they are currently being sold to 18-year-olds right here in P.E.I. We have a responsibility to ensure that all nicotine products are held to the same high standards of protection for our youth,” MacLennan said during question period.
“Will this government commit to closing these loopholes immediately by amending provincial legislation to bring nicotine pouches under the same 21-plus restriction as all other nicotine products on P.E.I.?”
Read the full article at Charlottetown Guardian
