I stopped smoking by switching to nicotine pouches. Now the European Commission wants to tax that alternative. Organizations it has funded are campaigning for the proposal. And taxpayers like me help fund those organizations.
I find that unacceptable.
The Commission’s July 2025 proposal would introduce substantial minimum excise taxes on nicotine pouches. The full floor, scheduled for 2032 after a transition period, would be 50% of the retail price including taxes, or an EU reference rate of €143 per kilogram, subject to adjustment. These are alternative calculations, not cumulative charges. Member states could impose higher rates.
“Minimum” means the lowest permitted tax. It does not mean a small one. For consumers like me, this proposal could make the product that helped us quit smoking more expensive.
A report from Hungary’s Free Market Foundation lists €2,136,668 in reported Commission funding across three organizations: the European Cancer Organisation, the European Public Health Alliance and Smoke Free Partnership.
Two of those organizations publicly support the tax revision. Smoke Free Partnership’s September 2025 statement names itself and the European Cancer Organisation among groups urging governments to back it. ECO’s own statement supports the proposal and explicitly discusses extending taxation to pouches.
Public money has supported organizations advocating taxes on the alternative I used to stop smoking.
The Commission proposes the policy. Organizations it has funded campaign for it. People like me help pay for those organizations.
I want the Commission to explain exactly what that money finances and why consumers should accept this arrangement. I made the choice to move away from smoking. I don’t want my taxes supporting organizations pushing to make that choice more expensive.
Not with my money.
EN 
UK 
FI 
FR 
DE 
SV 
UZ 
ES 
CS