ZONNIC nicotine pouch is the latest addition to Imperial Tobacco Canada's reduced risk portfolio, and the first product of its kind to be authorized for sale by Health Canada
MONTREAL, Oct. 12, 2023 /CNW/ - Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN) is pleased to announce that Health Canada has granted Nicoventures Trading Limited, a subsidiary of ITCAN's parent company BAT, a licence to sell ZONNIC, a nicotine pouch that can help adult smokers quit smoking by delivering nicotine to the body. ITCAN will be the exclusive distributor of ZONNIC in Canada.
"This is a first for Canada. No other nicotine pouch has received Health Canada's authorization. ZONNIC will give smokers a new option to help them quit smoking," said Frank Silva, President and CEO of ITCAN. "We all agree, smoking is the cause of serious diseases, and we are committed to reducing the health impact of our business. The addition of ZONNIC to our product portfolio is the next step in this journey.''
ZONNIC, which temporarily relieves cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, is licensed as a Natural Health Product (NHP) and has been authorized for sale by Health Canada for use as a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). ZONNIC contains no tobacco.
As part of its licence application, Nicoventures provided all information required by Health Canada, including a pharmacokinetics study that assessed the bioavailability of nicotine in ZONNIC in comparison to other commercially available NRTs. The study showed that ZONNIC nicotine pouches effectively deliver nicotine, and are comparable to other commercial brands.
"Canada has a golden opportunity to achieve its target of reducing smoking rates below five percent by 2035. We just have to look at Sweden to see how it can be done. Sweden is about to become the first smoke free country," said Mr. Silva. "This is being achieved by embracing new, less harmful nicotine products and creating a policy environment which encourages smokers to move away from smoking. With Canadian smoking rates at an all-time low, we believe that ZONNIC can reduce rates even further, and help Canada get the same results as Sweden."
''I am immensely proud to add ZONNIC to our product portfolio that hit the shelves this week in convenience stores and later this year in pharmacies. Offering a range of less harmful products to smoking will benefit our adult consumers and society as a whole,'' concluded Mr. Silva.
About Imperial Tobacco Canada
Imperial Tobacco Canada is Canada's leading tobacco and vaping products company and is part of the world's most international tobacco group: BAT. BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business, operating in over 180 markets. Our vision is to build A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of our business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for our consumers.
Our strong foundations, together with our capacity for cutting-edge innovation, are a platform for us to build more sustainable products for our adult consumers, and a more sustainable business for our colleagues, shareholders, and communities.
SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada
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