EU nations push back against Spain’s ‘dangerous’ nicotine pouch ban

STOCKHOLM – A powerful bloc of European Union member states has formally opposed Spain’s proposed ban on nicotine pouches, as international health experts warn that adult access to safer nicotine alternatives is essential in the fight against smoking. 

 

The European Commission this week published detailed objections from six governments – Sweden, Romania, Czechia, Croatia, Greece and Italy – representing almost 115 million EU citizens.

 

The opposition targets Spain’s draft decree, first published in November, which proposes a nicotine cap of just 0.99 mg per pouch – effectively banning the product – alongside a sweeping ban on non-tobacco flavours in vapes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products.

 

The objections, known as Detailed Opinions, cite serious concerns over legality, proportionality and public health impact. Several warn that the proposals could worsen smoking-related health outcomes – particularly if these measures are adopted as a blueprint in upcoming revisions to the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

 

Dr Delon Human, a global health specialist and leader of Smoke Free Sweden, said the wave of objections underscores growing resistance to anti-harm reduction policies that threaten consumer choice and public health progress.

 

“This strong resistance from six EU governments sends a clear message: smokers deserve access to safer alternatives, and countries that are successfully reducing smoking rates must not be forced to follow the failures of others,” Dr Human said.

 

“If the Spanish draft sets a benchmark for the next Tobacco Products Directive, it risks imposing prohibitionist policies on the entire bloc – policies that ignore science, consumer choice and public health success stories.

 

“Sweden is on track to become the first smoke-free country in Europe by encouraging smokers to switch to safer nicotine alternatives like pouches. Policies that remove these options, especially when they have proven effective, are misguided and dangerous.”

 

In its objection to Spain’s ban on pouches, the Swedish government stressed that it undermines harm reduction and the free movement of goods and ignores the potential of nicotine pouches to replace smoking.

 

The objection from Czechia, where policies supporting nicotine alternatives have achieved a 23.3% reduction in smoking rates since 2020, emphasised the lower health risks of nicotine pouches.

The objections force a three-month suspension of the Spanish regulation, during which Spain must respond.