MANILA, Philippines, Radarseluma.Disway.id -- CAPHRA today reiterated its position that nicotine pouches should be legally available to adults under strict, enforceable regulation as part of a proportionate tobacco harm reduction strategy. CAPHRA warns that prohibition often drives supply into informal and illicit markets, reduces regulatory visibility, and makes youth protection harder to enforce. A clear, auditable, compliance-ready regulatory framework is the stronger public health option.
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“Public health policy has to work in real conditions, not just on paper,” said Clarisse Yvette Virgino, CAPHRA Philippines representative. “When products are banned, markets do not disappear. They often go underground, where governments lose visibility over ingredients, strength, distribution, and marketing. That weakens youth safeguards and undermines regulatory control. Regulation, done properly, gives governments leverage and accountability.”
What does effective nicotine product regulation look like
CAPHRA’s core recommendation is that governments establish a dedicated legal category for nicotine pouches rather than forcing them into cigarette frameworks or leaving them in a grey zone. Clear legal definitions reduce loopholes, improve compliance, and make enforcement consistent. That legal foundation should be paired with measurable product and quality standards that regulators can realistically monitor, including requirements for accurate labeling and credible testing and compliance mechanisms.
CAPHRA also supports adult-only sales rules that work in practice, not just in policy statements. Controlled supply environments, licensed and accountable retail channels, and age verification that is routinely checked are essential for keeping youth access as low as feasible. Marketing and promotion should be tightly constrained to reduce youth exposure, with clear compliance expectations for retailers, distributors, and manufacturers.
“Regulation is not permissive. It is controlled access with rules that bite,” said Nancy E Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. “If governments want to protect youth and reduce harm, they need a framework that is enforceable day to day. That means clear definitions, strong product standards, restricted retail channels, tough marketing limits, and active inspections with penalties that actually deter violations.”