Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Germany
No law specifically regulates heated tobacco products, however, according to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), heated tobacco products fall under the definition of a new type of tobacco product, and thus require an authorisation before being placed on the market. Find out all the market and regulatory aspects involved in the German region on this page.
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Regulatory briefing
More Regulatory briefingQuick insights on the heated tobacco regulatory situation in Germany
The implication of the political structure for the tobacco industry in Germany is that Länder can regulate some important aspects, such as public usage. They also have powers to regulate advertising in broadcasting, TV and online – however, as the federal government has banned advertising almost fully for tobacco products, the Länder may not enact less stringent laws in this area.
Germany signed up to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. According to a report by DAK-Gesundheit – the German national institute of health insurance – on addictions, approximately 22% of the working population smokes and around 5% vapes. Currently, no law specifically regulates heated tobacco products, and it is currently regulated as pipe tobacco.
As there is no law that specifically regulates heated tobacco products, the legal framework for these products is complex due to the many different laws that regulate different aspects of it – for example, some areas experience the same restrictions as normal cigarettes, whereas others fall under general consumer safety laws.
