In Ukraine, a complete ban on nicotine pouches has apparently been stopped at the last moment. The parliamentary Health Committee reviewed the bill and sent it back for revision – with a clear mandate to find a compromise.
Committee Chairman Mykhailo Radutskyi highlighted the risks of very high nicotine doses. According to him, the daily therapeutic dose is no more than 20 mg, while a single pouch can contain 150–170 mg of nicotine. At the same time, he stressed that the conditions of martial law and the needs of the military must be taken into account when revising the bill.
As Radutskyi put it, soldiers on the front lines often cannot smoke because of drones and snipers – smoke and light can give away a position. For many of them, smoke-free nicotine products are the only discreet option.
And this is where it gets interesting: Ukraine is trying to balance health protection with the reality of military life, instead of pushing through an ideological total ban. The goal is regulation rather than pushing the market into the shadows.
In Germany, by contrast, nicotine pouches still exist in a kind of regulatory grey zone. In practice, Bundeswehr soldiers can currently obtain pouches only via the gray market – with no clear product standards, no transparent control, and no reliable youth or consumer protection.
Instead of looking away, Germany needs sensible regulation and legalization of nicotine pouches, including:
- clear age limits,
- binding product and nicotine thresholds,
- transparent taxation,
- and legal certainty – including for soldiers who rely on smoke-free alternatives.
Ukraine is now debating a pragmatic compromise. Germany should pay close attention – and finally act itself.
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