Australians looking to quit smoking have long been able to access nicotine pouches with a doctor’s prescription. That ends tomorrow.
“There is limited evidence that nicotine pouches help people to quit smoking,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration said in a statement.
“Their full health impacts remain unknown.”
Nicotine pouches were largely an afterthought as debate raged over Labor’s decision to restrict vapes to prescription-only access in 2024. Advocates argue they offer a safer alternative to cigarettes, while critics fear they are a gateway to lifelong nicotine addiction.
By effectively imposing a blanket ban, Labor is doubling down on an approach increasingly compared with the failures of Prohibition-era America.
