“No, we don’t sell nicotine pouches here,” said a North Regina confectionery clerk. If you persist by continuing to ask, especially for popular brands like Zyn, White Fox or Pablos, the clerk will bring you to a back room or display an array of nicotine pouches. Oftentimes, they will bring out reusable grocery bags full of the unregulated snus products. 

Oral nicotine pouches are becoming the hottest ticket in town. Their intended purpose is to provide nicotine replacement therapy for people trying to quit smoking. Some people use them for different reasons; many of them do not use them to quit smoking. 

 “The first thing I do every morning is put in a Zyn,” said L.S., an electrician in Regina. “I need that rush that jolts me awake. It allows me to be more alert when on my jobsite.”

“My entire family smokes, my parents, step-parents, and grandparents rip darts like they’re going out of style. Cigarettes took my grandfather from me, and I refuse to go down that path.” L.S. said.

“That’s why I use the pouches; no one knows I use them, yet everyone I know uses them.”

According to the Government of Canada, “Nicotine pouches are authorized ONLY to help adults quit smoking. They should not be used recreationally, by nonsmokers, by people under the age of 18, or by others at risk of nicotine’s toxic effects. Do not buy or use any unauthorized nicotine pouches.”

L.S. concluded by saying, “I need the stronger stuff, the Zonnics aren’t potent enough for me, and I refuse to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps.” 

That presents an issue. People are finding ways to get their hands on more potent, unregulated pouches. Zonnics are a four-milligram pouch, while the unregulated pouches range from six milligrams to 50 milligrams. Since the most popular pouches are unregulated, the names of the people in this story have been changed to their initials in order to protect their identities. 

Local confectioneries have been very secretive about possessing and redistributing the pouches. It is common for the clerks to wait until their store is empty so they can conduct the transaction. Since the snus is an unregulated substance, it cannot be sold in convenience stores. Legally, the only place you can purchase regulated snus is at local pharmacies.  

These shops are importing the unregulated snus and making a large profit off back-door deals. Typically, a log (five tins) of the snus goes for about $100 plus tax. Some of the stores that sell the unregulated substances make you pay in cash. Some will only let you buy if you spend up to $200 or more on the snus. 

“It kills a guy to spend so much money on them, but I need them for school in order to focus,” said P.B., a University of Regina engineering student. “The pouches are great for me personally. I’ve never been a smoker or someone who vapes. I just thought I’d try them because of how popular they had become,” said P.B. 

Regulated nicotine pouches are sold in the form of Zonnics, which can only be acquired at local pharmacies. This reporter spoke to a local pharmacist named George, who said his customer clientele is typically people in their early to late twenties. 

George explained that any customer who purchases Zonnics will have a note made on their Saskatchewan health record in case a patient has a future medical issue. George also explained that he has noticed that Zonnics are becoming the most popular use of nicotine replacement therapy, especially in younger people. 

The BMJ medical journal backs this claim, as the usage of nicotine pouches among young people is rapidly growing. “9.1% of Canadians aged 20-29 have reported using or at least trying oral nicotine pouches.” 

“It looks like a piece of Juicy Fruit, and tastes like cherry cola, or a banana milkshake. It’s delicious and stimulating. I quit vaping because of them; it made my life easier. I don’t have to worry about being ridiculed by people in public for using them because, well, no one knows I’m using them,” said A.M, an individual who used to vape on a regular basis. 

“In high school, I used to vape from the minute I woke up to the minute I fell asleep. It was really nasty stuff. I got pretty sick. I quit cold turkey for three whole years until Zyns were introduced to me. Zyns made me feel great, lucid and hyper-focused. When I play flag football, I can’t play without them.”

The unregulated market has become so popular to the point where there are entire subreddits on which confectionaries sell them in Regina. There is no clear indication that usage of unregulated nicotine products will trend down despite oral cancer concerns. In the last four years, the overall trend in nicotine pouch consumption has risen at an alarming rate, with no end in sight. 

Subreddit of Local Unregulated Nicotine Pouch Sellers

Awareness and use of oral nicotine pouches among youth and young adults, 2022–2024