Toss in an upper decky, bud 

Originally published on October 1, 2024

Zynbabwe. Zynful. Ted Kaczynski. In Canada, Zyns are unauthorized for sale. However, unlike our American siblings, we have Zonnic. For those of you who don’t know what these words mean, Zonnic is a tabacco-less nicotine pouch you put on the inside of your lip. 

In 2023, Health Canada approved the sale of Zonnics as a nicotine replacement therapy. Boasting flavours like Berry Frost, Chill Mint and Tropical Breeze, nicotine in Zonnics are limited to 4 mg, the recommended dosage for cigarette smokers who are looking to quit. 

I have to admit that I didn’t use Zonnics the way they were intended.

But, apparently, I’m not the only one. Last March, Canada’s minister of health Mark Holland released a statement saying he was is “incredibly concerned” about the recreational use of Zonnics and other nicotine pouches. 

You have probably seen the growing memes about nicotine pouches on social media. Famous — or infamous, depending on how you view the world — figures such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson have openly admitted to using nicotine pouches. It is no surprise to hear Health Canada has grown concerned about nicotine pouches appealing to younger people and even those under the age of 18. 

“There were advertisements everywhere” says a professional communications student who wishes to remain anonymous. They are one of many who have switched over to nicotine pouches from vaping. This is to say, he is using nicotine pouches the way Health Canada intended. But before August, convenience stores like Circle K openly advertised Zonnics. The colour of the tins were bright, upbeat, and clearly appealing to youth. 

However, after months on the market, Health Canada recognized a loophole where Zonnics could be advertised and sold without any regulations, meaning anyone could purchase Zonnic. 

If you are really interested in nicotine pouches that contain high levels of nicotine, some tobacco and 420 stores sell them. Businesses I reached out to refused to speak, but it’s an open secret among some who use nicotine pouches. 

“It’s not something that they sell publicly, but I went in and was just curious, so I asked them, and they said,’ yeah, we’ve got Zonic,’” claims the communications student. “So I dropped a couple of different name brands just to see if anything caught their attention, and they said, ‘yeah, let me show you a list of what we have.’” 

A few days ago, I was seated in class and waiting for the lecture to begin. The student next to me quickly eyed the room to see if anyone was watching him. He pulled out his vape and took a quick puff, followed by a sense of relief only nicotine addicts can understand. My first thought should have been, “how many times have you vaped in class?”  but no — I was thinking about why he didn’t use nicotine pouches instead. 

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Graphic by Forrester Toews