Nairobi, April 26 -- Across North America in 2025, public policy toward nicotine pouches and other non-combustible, smoke-free products revealed a stark divergence in regulatory philosophy.

In Canada, federal and provincial authorities have layered restrictions that make nicotine pouches harder to access than traditional cigarettes. In the US, by contrast, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly described nicotine pouches as among the safest ways to consume nicotine, signalling a markedly different harm-reduction approach.

In Canada, nicotine pouches, including the only authorised brand, Zonnic, are regulated under drug and natural health product frameworks. As a result, they are generally sold only in pharmac...