Restore Adult Access to Safer Nicotine Options

“I smoked cigarettes for 30 years and tried many times to quit, including using Champix, without success. After switching to vaping for 10 years, I finally stopped completely in February this year by using nicotine pouches and have not had a single cigarette or vape since. I am deeply disappointed that a product available only with a doctor’s prescription is now being banned, while cigarettes and vapes remain legal. I urge the Government to reconsider this decision and continue allowing personal importation of nicotine pouches for adults with a valid prescription.”

“The only thing that helped me stay off cigarettes was switching to nicotine pouches, a safer, smoke-free alternative that fits quietly into my life.”

“Unlike vaping, nicotine pouches are the only nicotine product I have used where I experienced no adverse health effects.”

“My name is Thomas Gregory, I have been a smoker of cigarettes since 16, vapes since they came through and became easily accessible and now being 31 and in a public position of work, I started ZYNS. I did this not just for myself and stress. I did this because I felt that after years of these other options I had troubles breathing and sleeping.

Now after the change to ZYNS and the child, I have had more energy, I’m more active getting involved with my kids, my kids have enjoyed the change, even at work it’s noticeable and people enjoy being around me there as well.”

“My journey with nicotine has been a long one, and it started when I was only 13 years old.

For the first time in decades, I felt like I was actually in control of nicotine instead of nicotine controlling me.

After everything I have done to get here, it is incredibly disappointing to feel like government decisions could push people backwards instead of helping them move forwards.”

“I smoked cigarettes for years and always knew I needed to quit, but breaking the habit wasn’t easy. Switching to nicotine pouches has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I no longer have the smell of cigarette smoke on my clothes or in my car, and I don’t have to step outside for a smoke break.

While nicotine pouches aren’t risk-free and still contain nicotine, they’ve been a much better alternative for me than continuing to smoke cigarettes or vaping. They’ve helped me move away from smoking and vaping and I feel like I’ve taken a positive step toward improving my health and everyday life. With ban coming into effect, I’m back to square one with finding another alternative.”

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
I was in hospital for two months from a non-smoking-related illness, and the only thing I had with me was a vape. I found myself waking up every two hours just to inhale on it. After I was discharged, I realised how badly my respiratory system had been affected. Switching to nicotine pouches was the only thing that helped me finally kick the vape — something patches or gum never managed to do.

How the ban affects me
I was buying pouches legally. Now, because of the ban, I’m forced to get them from dodgy tobacconists that have popped up everywhere over the last five years. It’s still better than going back to vaping, but it shouldn’t be like this.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
I’ve used nicotine pouches to stop both smoking and vaping, and they’ve noticeably improved my health. After years of trying everything — Champix, over-the-counter quit products, lozenges — pouches were the only thing that actually worked long-term.

How the ban affects me
I’ve been a heavy smoker since the age of nine. Champix nearly cost me my life due to the mental side effects. Every quit product I tried only kept me off cigarettes for a few months before I relapsed. I moved to vaping, but that damaged my health just as much, if not more.

For the last two years, nicotine pouches have been the only safe, effective option that kept me away from smoking. Since the ban, I’ve already gone back to cigarettes. I tried to hold out with lozenges, but they only work when life is smooth — and life hasn’t been smooth for me, especially with my mother dying of cancer.

I hate smoking and regret ever starting. It’s not ideal to use any nicotine product long-term, but pouches were the safest non-smoking, non-vaping alternative available. Just because our government refuses to do the research doesn’t mean others haven’t. Swedish and Norwegian research is extensive. Maybe our government should look at it too.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
I have smoked on and off for nearly 15 years, the only thing that worked to stop smoking cigarettes was vaping. However I still noticed that vaping wasn’t great for my cardiovascular health. On a trip to the Europe I discovered nicotine pouches, since then I was using the TGA prescription system to import good quality nicotine pouches from Sweden that I knew weren’t contaminated and contained correctly labelled dosages. Using pouches stopped all vaping and smoking desires and have found a huge improvement in my health since starting pouches.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
They were the only thing that got me off smoking and vaping. Current products like the disgusting gum from the pharmacy is a joke.

The government wants people to stay on the durries they are the most disgraceful f...heads in the world

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
I’m from Sweden, a country that genuinely care about its citizens and health is a serious topic and properly research given that health care is completely financed by government. Nicotine pouches reduce smoking dramatically and the health statistics clearly drove decisions on why nicotine pouches is an important alternative (a much healthier that smoking).

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
As a younger kid, i unfortunately became hooked on nicotine through vapes. I vaped continuously for 4 years, and every quitting method seemed unsuccessful. I had many adverse health effects from vaping, until i came across nicotine pouches. Within two weeks, i was able to stop vaping completely, and have been lowering my intake progressively in an effort to eventually quit.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
I was a smoker for 15 years. On at least 4 occasions, I attempted quitting through the existing smoking cessation products including patches and gum, although on all occasions relapsed back to cigarettes. I started using pouches 2 years ago and have not had a cigarette since. The reduction in population smoking rates should be celebrated but not correlated with prohibiting all access to nicotine products and goes against validated and evidenced based treatment of addiction that recognises the importance of harm minimisation.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
Nicotine pouches helped me quit vaping. I was vaping so often that it was starting to affect me physically, my lungs and body felt irritated and I ended up getting sick often.

How pouches affected smoking/vaping
Pouches stopped me from both vaping and smoking almost immediately. I have never felt healthier and have never been tempted to pick up a cigarette again. How the ban affects them This ban has taken away my only legal means of purchasing these pouches that have helped me so much. It has immediately forced me to buy them from smoke shops where the legitimacy and safety of the product is questionable.