Finland is moving ahead with a proposal (221/2024) to regulate nicotine pouches under its Tobacco Act. The goal is to prevent youth use and tackle illegal trade. While the intentions sound good, the practical impact could end up hurting public health more than helping it.
Under the new law, selling nicotine pouches will require a license, products must stay below a set nicotine limit, only mint and menthol flavors will be allowed, packaging must carry standardized health warnings, and sales to anyone under 18 will be banned. Usage around schools and playgrounds will also be restricted.
Severely limiting flavor options and restricting nicotine levels, Finland risks making it harder for adult smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives. Flavors are one of the key reasons smokers move to safer options like pouches – and when flavors are banned, many simply go back to smoking. Similarly, low nicotine limits could mean pouches don’t deliver enough satisfaction, undermining their ability to replace cigarettes effectively.
Overregulation could also shrink the legal market for nicotine pouches, making them less available for adults who need them – while driving consumers toward illegal, unregulated products with no safety checks in place.
In short: the right approach should protect youth, but it should not push adult smokers away from safer choices and slow down Finland’s progress toward a smoke-free future.
The proposed changes must be reviewed carefully. Regulation should focus specifically on preventing youth access without unnecessarily restricting adult smokers’ ability to choose safer alternatives. Measures that limit youth use are important and they must be balanced with maintaining access for adults who rely on nicotine pouches as a harm reduction tool.
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