Thank you for your question.
As my colleague said, the Health Canada approval process essentially takes place behind closed doors. No group is consulted. Companies don't want competition and don't want anything divulged to competitors. The process is based on clinical data, not public health. Nicotine raises public health issues that go beyond the clinical aspect.
We see it in the case of vaping products. It's not about demonizing nicotine products. The important thing is to know who the product is for and how it is promoted in order to avoid unintended consequences.
Very few studies have been done on nicotine pouches. The product is relatively new in Canada and other markets. Before it got to Canada, it had been around in the United States for a few years. The fact remains that there isn't an abundance of research on the product because it's relatively new.
The effects of nicotine pose many risks. It has long been hard to distinguish the effects of smoking tobacco from those caused by nicotine alone. Now, with the new product varieties, the studies are starting to draw clearer conclusions.
I know that people from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada appeared before the committee. It is clear that nicotine increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also affects all precursors, including cholesterol. There are also emerging concerns about the damage nicotine causes to organs such as the liver. The science is evolving.