CAPHRA urges governments to regulate oral nicotine products to protect youth, set product standards, and keep markets controllable through enforceable regulation

MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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.

“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.”

Why regulation is safer than prohibition for youth protection

CAPHRA's position is that blanket bans are a blunt instrument that can create predictable downstream harms. Illicit markets tend to expand when legal pathways are removed, and those markets are less likely to comply with age restrictions, product standards, or marketing limits. When supply is pushed underground, governments often lose the ability to monitor nicotine strength, audit ingredients, trace distribution, and intervene quickly when problems emerge. In short, prohibition can reduce state control at the exact moment control is needed most.

By contrast, a regulated system gives authorities practical tools to maintain oversight. Regulators can set standards, require testing, license sellers, inspect outlets, sanction violations, and monitor distribution. That visibility matters for youth protection because it enables active enforcement, rather than relying on symbolic rules that are easy to evade.

Why this matters in South Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific

This policy choice is especially relevant in South Asia and across the Asia-Pacific, where the burden of tobacco-related harm remains severe and where smokeless tobacco use contributes substantially to preventable disease. In settings where smoked and smokeless products drive high rates of illness and death, public health priorities must focus on reducing the most harmful forms of use. CAPHRA's view is that regulated adult access to lower-risk nicotine alternatives, combined with strict youth safeguards and continuous enforcement, can be a pragmatic lever within a broader tobacco control strategy.

CAPHRA emphasises that the public health rationale is strongest when governments pair regulated access with measurable safeguards: youth-focused marketing controls, enforceable product standards, controlled retail channels, and compliance monitoring that is routine, not occasional. Refusing regulated access in favor of blanket bans risks preserving a status quo of high harm and low visibility, while making markets harder to govern.

Key message for policymakers

CAPHRA urges governments to move past false choices between unregulated access and outright bans. The workable middle ground is legal, tightly regulated adult access that is designed to be enforceable with available resources. A compliance-ready framework keeps youth protection at the center, maintains regulatory control of the market, and supports harm reduction outcomes by providing adults with lower-risk options under strict conditions. More information is available here.

Media Contact:
N.E. Loucas
Executive Coordinator, CAPHRA
neloucas@caphraorg.net