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With similar discussions taking place in other European countries, Poland’s plans to ban flavoured nicotine pouches raise questions about whether a wider regulatory trend is emerging across the continent.
Poland’s Ministry of Health is pushing ahead with plans to ban flavoured nicotine pouches, alongside disposable vape products, marking another step in the country’s broader crackdown on alternative tobacco products. This move follows growing concerns that these products, particularly those with fruity and minty flavours, are increasingly appealing to younger consumers.
The proposed legislation, set to be introduced to the parliament in the third quarter of 2025, is expected to pass smoothly, given the ruling government’s majority. The bill is part of a larger strategy to reduce access to nicotine products that do not fall under traditional tobacco regulations. The government has argued that flavoured nicotine pouches, like disposable e-cigarettes, present a public health risk because they are marketed in ways that make them attractive to under-age users. By limiting flavours to tobacco-only options, officials hope to curb youth uptake and prevent non-smokers from experimenting with nicotine.
Regulation runs from lenient to prohibitively restrictive
Poland’s plan echoes a recent shift in France, where policy-makers initially debated taxing nicotine pouches before deciding to move towards an outright ban. In late 2024, then-health minister Geneviève Darrieussecq announced plans to prohibit these products, citing concerns about their rising popularity among teenagers. However, facing opposition from both public health advocates and the industry, France briefly considered imposing a tax instead. By early 2025, the French Senate ultimately rejected the tax proposal, paving the way for a full ban. The current health minister, Catherine Vautrin, has signalled that the government intends to proceed with prohibition through alternative regulatory measures.
Meanwhile, Luxembourg’s approach has drawn scrutiny from the European Commission, which raised concerns over the country’s proposed nicotine concentration limits and health warning requirements. Luxembourg’s draft law, which includes a nicotine cap of 0.048 mg per unit, has been flagged as potentially too restrictive, with critics arguing that such limits would effectively remove nicotine pouches from the market. Sweden and Greece have opposed these measures, citing concerns about market restrictions within the EU’s single market framework.
Poland’s planned ban on flavoured pouches stands in contrast to Sweden’s more permissive stance on oral nicotine products, such as snus and nicotine pouches. Sweden has long championed harm reduction, allowing the sale of these products while maintaining some of the lowest smoking rates in Europe.
Potential risks and rewards of further restrictions
The growing push for restrictions across Europe suggests a shift towards more stringent nicotine policies, particularly on products that are perceived as being marketed to younger consumers. Ireland has also been advancing measures to regulate nicotine pouches, and in Spain, authorities are considering setting nicotine content limits that could effectively remove many products from the market.
Despite the public health rationale behind these moves, critics warn that banning flavoured nicotine pouches could drive consumers towards the black market or more harmful alternatives. In Poland, industry representatives and harm-reduction advocates argue that a ban will do little to curb nicotine use and may instead lead to increased sales of illegal, unregulated products. Similar concerns were raised in France, where some experts suggested that taxation and controlled regulation might have been a more effective approach than prohibition.
As Poland moves forward with its legislation, it remains to be seen whether other European nations will follow suit. With multiple countries weighing restrictions on nicotine pouches and disposable e-cigarettes, the debate over how best to regulate alternative tobacco products continues to evolve. Whether this trend will lead to a unified policy or a patchwork of national regulations remains an open question.
– Antonia Di Lorenzo TobaccoIntelligence staff
Photo: Tahmeed Ahmad, Bruno, Prasert Taosiri
