Former smokers fear relapse and black market after nicotine pouch ban

Some former smokers say a federal ban on nicotine pouches is backfiring, driving them straight back to cigarettes and the black market.

For many former cigarette users, the small, tobacco-free sachets – which are placed under the upper lip – single-handedly helped them quit. 

But under sweeping regulations introduced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australians are now completely barred from importing them – even with a valid doctor’s prescription.

While therapeutic vapes or e-cigarettes can still be accessed through pharmacies with a script, pouches have been excluded from the medical scheme altogether, leaving users with no legal pathway.

Alex, 34, from Warragul in regional Victoria, had quit smoking for three and a half years using pouches. Now, the ban has forced his hand.

“Now I’m back to smoking. I buy illegal cigarettes,” Alex told nine.com.au.

“I have stopped using pouches since the ban because I can no longer trust any source for them. 

“I’ve bought fake pouches before, and they’re genuinely frightening. I buy illegal cigarettes because I see them as a safer option than buying illegal pouches.”

For Alex, nicotine patches and gums didn’t work, whereas pouches offered a discreet way to manage cravings without tobacco.

“You can’t chew gum in a business meeting – it dumps all flavour and nicotine in the first few minutes,” he said.

“Patches didn’t scratch the itch at all.”

Another long-term smoker, who wished to remain anonymous, started smoking at age 13 and tried for years to quit before finally finding success through pouches. 

Though he initially bought them without a prescription, he later used an online medical service to obtain one legally.

“I’ve spent years trying to get away from cigarettes, and I’ve finally found something that works for me,” he said.

“I don’t want to be put in a position where I have to choose between going back to cigarettes, trying to suddenly stop something I’ve relied on, or getting pouches through an unregulated black market.”

Instead of a blanket ban, he argues Australia should look at strict retail controls rather than pushing adult users back to tobacco or black-market dealers.

“Another concern I have is that the ban could simply create another black market. People who already use nicotine pouches aren’t necessarily going to stop because they’re harder to legally obtain.”

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NSW Libertarian Party MLC John Ruddick says people should be able to buy a nicotine pouch at their local convenience store.

“Quitting smoking is a tough journey. Nicotine patches are probably the best aid available ... the biggest winners from this ban, the people celebrating this ban, is organised crime,” he said.

A growing number of Australians are petitioning the government to reverse the ban, pointing to international success stories like Sweden, where smoking rates plummeted after legalising safer oral nicotine alternatives.

In a statement, a TGA spokesperson said the ban targets emerging nicotine products over fears of youth uptake and rising addiction rates.

“The long-term health effects of nicotine pouches remain unknown, and there is limited evidence to suggest that they support smoking cessation.

“The new regulations do not prevent a sponsor from applying for registration of a nicotine pouch product on the ARTG, or conducting clinical trials of nicotine pouches in Australia.

“If a company wants to sell a nicotine pouch product in Australia, it must demonstrate that the product is safe, effective and meets Australia’s regulatory standards.”