Convenience stores are cornerstones of our communities, operated by responsible retailers who are not just business owners, but neighbours and friends.
These local businesses hold a special place in our hearts and memories, whether it’s grabbing an icy drink on a hot summer day, buying packs of trading cards, grabbing goodies or filling up before a weekend trip to the cottage or campsite.
Yet, today, the federal government is casting a shadow over these important community businesses and would have you believe they aren’t responsible retailers. The Trudeau Liberals are pushing legislation allowing the federal health minister to dictate to provinces where and how certain products can be sold, all under the guise of “protecting youth.” This legislation aims to shift the sale of nicotine pouches — a tool to help smokers quit — from convenience stores to big-box pharmacies.
This move is a blatant insult to convenience stores, their owners and Canadians. Convenience stores have long been trusted retailers with decades of experience in selling age-restricted products, including tobacco, lottery tickets and, in some provinces, alcohol. These retailers know the rules, are trained and understand that their livelihoods depend on enforcing them. It is both absurd and hypocritical to think they are not capable of responsibly selling nicotine pouches.
The government’s claim of protecting youth by restricting nicotine pouch sales is misguided and harmful. Youth are not getting these products from convenience stores; they are obtaining them online from illegal black-market websites, often delivered by Canada Post. When it comes to addressing contraband, the government turns a blind eye, choosing instead to target law-abiding small business owners.
Our track record in keeping these products away from youth speaks for itself. A 2019 study of drug use among Ontario students, released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), found convenience stores are the least common source of vaping products for youth. For an industry with the best track record in selling age-verified products, including cigarettes, how can we be deemed unfit to sell smoking cessation products?
The contradiction is glaring and illogical.
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Nicotine pouches are legitimate smoking cessation products endorsed by the World Health Organization. By moving these products away from convenience stores, the government is creating unnecessary barriers for smokers who are trying to quit. Convenience stores are where smokers typically buy their legal products.
Shouldn’t we make smoking alternatives as readily available for those trying to move away from smoking?
Health Minister Mark Holland’s story and plan need correction. When Health Canada approved nicotine pouches for sale, it failed to impose marketing, age or point-of-sale restrictions. Recognizing the risks, the convenience store industry proactively imposed stringent policies: We restricted sales to those over 18 and moved the products behind the counter. Despite this, the government now seeks to rectify its oversight by penalizing the very retailers who stepped up responsibly.
Canadian convenience stores and other small businesses are already facing financial challenges due to increased competition from dollar stores, big-box pharmacies and grocers. The proposed legislation would further strain these businesses by diverting sales of nicotine pouches to these big-box pharmacies, leading to significant revenue loss. This discriminatory measure ignores the economic realities and the crucial role these stores play in local economies.
By stripping convenience stores of key products, the government risks further financial hardship for many small business owners, impacting local jobs and community services.
It’s time to recognize and respect the role of convenience stores as the trusted, responsible retailers they are and ensure policies reflect that reality.
Anne Kothawala is president & CEO of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada