Considerate Pouchers, today announced the release of the 2026 European Pouch Accessibility Index. This comprehensive report ranks 29 jurisdictions, including the EU-27, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, based on their regulatory approach to nicotine pouches, a critical tool in the global fight against tobacco-related harm.
As Europe nears its goal of a smoke-free generation, the Index reveals a continent starkly divided. While a Swedish experience of harm reduction is emerging in the North and East, major Western European powers are increasingly turning toward prohibition, misclassification, and punitive taxation.
“In the race to make Europe smoke-free, nicotine pouches have emerged as a pivotal tool for public health,” said Juan Rafael Taborcía, Global Spokesperson of Considerate Pouchers. “However, as we approach 2026, the continent finds itself at a regulatory crossroads. While nations like Sweden have embraced pouches to drive smoking rates toward historic lows, others are constructing legislative barriers that threaten to undo decades of progress.”
Key Findings of the 2026 Index:
- Shvetsiya Oltin Standartini Ta'minladi (70/70): Shvetsiya tamaki paketlarini tamaki mahsulotlaridan muvaffaqiyatli ajratib ko'rsatgan va hatto chekuvchilarni chekishni tashlaganliklari uchun mukofotlash maqsadida soliqlarni 20% ga kamaytirgan yagona mamlakat bo'lib qolmoqda.
- Rivojlanayotgan taqiqlovchi blok: Germaniya, Niderlandiya, Belgiya, Litva va Kipr chakana savdo va onlayn savdoning to'liq taqiqlanishi tufayli yomon baholarga (F) ega bo'lishdi. Ushbu siyosatlar chekuvchilar uchun eng samarali "cheklovlarni" olib tashlaydi va sigaret iste'mol qilishning mavjud holatini samarali himoya qiladi.
- Fransiyaning qonuniy arqon tortish o'yini: Fransiya yaqinda sud tomonidan paketlarga taqiq qo'yilishining to'xtatib qo'yilganiga qaramay, muvaffaqiyatsizlikka uchradi. Indeksda ta'kidlanishicha, to'xtatib qo'yilgan qarorga qaramay, bozor Sog'liqni saqlash kodeksining cheklangan talqinlari tufayli kattalar iste'molchilari uchun amalda yopiqligicha qolmoqda.
- Ispaniya "chekka holat" sifatida: Ispaniyaning 45 (C) balli yuqori darajadagi huquqiy noaniqlikni aks ettiradi. Taklif qilinayotgan ta'm taqiqlari va o'zboshimchalik bilan 0,99 mg nikotin cheklovi iste'molchilar tanlovi va bozor innovatsiyalarini bo'g'adigan "de-fakto" taqiqni yaratadi.
The Advantage of Access: The Index highlights that jurisdictions achieving an ‘A’ or ‘A+’ grade, such as Norway, Bulgaria, and Romania, provide a Consumer Advantage. These states utilize risk-proportionate taxation and protect flavor variety, which empirical data suggests is essential for preventing relapse into combustible tobacco use.
“Innovation, not prohibition, is the way forward for a smoke-free Europe,” Taborcía added. “When states misclassify pouches as tobacco or ‘novel foods,’ they aren’t protecting children, they are protecting smoking rates by making it harder for pouchers to live healthier lives.”
Methodology The Index utilizes a 70-point quantitative scoring system across seven evaluation pillars: Tobacco Classification, Flavor Accessibility, Registry Hurdles, Tax Parity, Digital Availability, Retail Inclusion, and Nicotine Caps. States are penalized for “Edge Cases” where pending legislation or official hostile intent creates consumer uncertainty.
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