Finland is relaxing the rules on nicotine pouches. At least temporarily. This means that tobacco-free snus with high nicotine strength, a product previously classified as a medicine, can now be bought in shops and imported by private individuals in Finland.
Finns will now be able to buy nicotine pouches with a higher nicotine strength without a prescription. According to a government decision, nicotine pouches will no longer be generally classified as medicines, which means that even unlicensed companies will be allowed to import and sell nicotine portions with more than 4mg/per pouch.
At the same time, the Finnish government has proposed to totally ban the import of snus to the country. It is likely that nicotine pouches will also be included in the ban, which could make their availability very temporary, according to YLE
To be regulated like tobacco
According to Fimea, the Finnish Medicines Agency, it is no longer possible to classify nicotine pouches as medicinal products. This is especially true if the products are not explicitly marketed as a medicine. However, it is considered that nicotine pouches should be monitored in the same way as tobacco products, as they usually contain nicotine.
"Nicotine pouches essentially meet the definition of a tobacco substitute, i.e. they correspond to a tobacco product in terms of their purpose of use, but do not contain tobacco. In future, the provisions of the Tobacco Act on tobacco substitutes will therefore apply mutatis mutandis. In addition, the legislation on chemicals will continue to apply to nicotine preparations." Fimea in a statement.
Low nicotine strength ineffective
Nicotine pouches were invented in Sweden as a smoking cessation tools. The first variants were only allowed to contain 4mg/bag, as this has been the practice for other medicines in the segment, such as nicotine gum. However, the low nicotine strength has proven to be relatively ineffective in keep smokers smoke-free for a longer period of time.
When e-cigarettes and e-liquid became regulated, under EU tobacco directive, with a maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml, nicotine pouches could also be sold at a higher strength without being classified as a medicine. Today, nicotine pouches contain on average the same amount of nicotine as Swedish snus, i.e. around 10mg/pouch.
Substitutes for cigarettes
Nicotine pouches are widely used as a substitute for cigarettes among smokers. At the same time, uptake has been high among young people, in both Finland and Sweden, leading to tougher legislation and age limits to get buy nicotine pouches. The Swedish Consumer Agency stated earlier this year that it will increase pressure on Swedish retailers to comply with restrictions on marketing and sales that may target people under 25 in Sweden.
