Swedish Match is ready to shake up the industry by getting out of combustibles
15th September 2021
Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Sweden
Heated tobacco is largely regulated in Sweden as a traditional tobacco product. Tobacco-containing snus is legal in Sweden, a country where it is widespread and the only one in the EU that allows it, while tobacco-free nicotine pouches are currently subject only to general consumer laws. Looking for more information about this region? This section compiles all our market and regulatory coverage of the Swedish market.
Business briefing
National regulatory framework in Sweden: Snus
The country is an unusual tobacco market compared to others in Europe, with very low smoking rates attributed to the popularity of snus – a form of oral tobacco that is illegal in the rest of the EU.
Sweden is one of the countries in the world in which snus is most prevalent, and is also the only country in the EU that allows it, according to the provisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.
Section 3 of the Food Act states that tobacco-containing snus and chewing tobacco fall under food law standards:
“In the Act the following are treated as food … snuff [which we interpret widely as also including snus] and chewing tobacco”.
This means that this type of tobacco product in Sweden is, therefore, regulated by both tobacco legislation and food legislation (Food Act, Tobacco Act, the Tobacco Ordinance and the regulations of the Public Health Agency).
Snus is also taxed under its own category.
