Independent convenience store association comes out against federal government’s move to restricts sale of nicotine pouches
Following the conclusion of its Annual General Meeting in Ottawa, the United Korean Commerce & Industry Association of Canada (UKCIA) is expressing frustration and anger towards the federal Minister of Health Mark Holland for banning the sale of nicotine pouches in convenience stores.
UKCIA says the move will only hurt the many family-owned convenience stores across Canada the organization represents. The UKCIA represents over 2,500 independent family-owned convenience stores across Canada.
Kenny Shim, president of the UKCIA, says of the move by Holland and the federal government that, "Convenience store operators are diligent in following government regulations and are a cornerstone of their communities, often knowing customers by name. By recommending safer alternatives like nicotine pouches to smokers, our members play an active role in helping people quit smoking. However, banning the sale of nicotine pouches from our stores, while allowing only pharmacies to sell them doesn't help consumers quit. Instead, it eliminates convenient access to these less harmful products and will instead drive our customers towards the black market or even worse, back to smoking cigarettes."
READ: Industry reacts as Health Canada bans convenience stores from selling nicotine pouches
Recent suggestions that minors can easily purchase nicotine pouches from convenience stores is wildly inaccurate, the UKCIA argues.
UKCIA says convenience stores have long been trusted to sell a wide variety of age restricted products including tobacco, alcohol and lottery tickets and have an excellent track record when it comes to checking ID. Selling these products responsibly has been a lifeline for convenience stores, enabling small family-owned stores to better compete with larger retailers.
"We've already seen how the Ontario government's efforts to address illicit cigarettes brought revenue back to local businesses. But this isn't enough—we need something at the federal level to protect small businesses,” Shim adds “According to a recent industry report, one quarter of convenience stores in rural areas are closing, and the number of profitable stores keeps declining. The continued overregulation of regulated and approved products like nicotine pouches will only worsen this trend.", added Shim.
In the association’s recent conversations with parliamentarians in Ottawa, the UKCIA communicated its members' concerns, urging the federal government to develop a balanced solution that addresses both public health concerns and the economic realities of small businesses.
Earlier this month, Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc. and Couche-Tard Inc., subsidiaries of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., made an application in Federal Court that Health Canada's rules restricting the sale of nicotine pouches to pharmacies are unfair and unconstitutional.
Parkland Corp. also made a claim at the court where it said that the move to restrict the sales of nicotine pouches to pharmacies only would only increase the demand for the product through illegal channels.
With files from The Canadian Press
