Only 5 days left to oppose the secret Brussels plot to charge Swedes 700% more tax on nicotine pouches
STOCKHOLM – Swedes have just five days left to make their voices heard against Brussels’ plan to impose a devastating 700% tax hike on nicotine pouches – a move that would punish consumers, undermine public health and siphon Swedish tax revenues into the EU’s budget black hole.
Under the European Commission’s leaked proposal, Sweden’s current excise duty of SEK 207 per kilogram on nicotine pouches would soar to almost SEK 1,600 per kilogram. A large portion of this would not even remain in Sweden but be diverted to Brussels.
“This is a direct attack on Sweden’s harm-reduction success,” said Dr. Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden and a former secretary general of the World Medical Association.
“Sweden is on the brink of becoming the first smoke-free nation in Europe. Nicotine pouches, a vastly safer alternative to cigarettes, have been key to getting them here. So hitting consumers with a 700% EU tax hike is reckless. It risks pushing people back to smoking, undermining public health and robbing Swedes of their sovereignty. If the EU truly cares about health, it should be replicating Sweden’s model, not taxing it into the ground.”
Smoke Free Sweden has submitted its response to the Swedish Ministry of Finance’s public consultation on the EU proposal, which runs until September 16. It urges Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson to reject Brussels’ plan outright and defend Sweden’s right to set its own tax and public health policies.
Sweden’s harm-reduction strategy has already delivered historic results:
Daily smoking has dropped to just 5.3% – nearly five times lower than the EU average.
Male lung cancer mortality is now 61% lower than the EU average.
Safer nicotine alternatives such as snus, pouches and vapes have turbo-charged this success.
Dr. Human warned: “Other EU countries with five times higher smoking rates should be learning from Sweden, not imposing policies that have failed elsewhere. For Swedes, this urgent matter of public health is also a question of national sovereignty and fairness.”
Smoke Free Sweden is calling on the Government to:
Reject the Commission’s proposed excise increases on safer nicotine alternatives.
Defend Sweden’s sovereign right to set differentiated taxes.
Champion harm reduction as a legitimate pillar of EU health policy.
Public support for the Swedish model is strong. A 2025 nationwide survey found that 74% of ex-smokers support exporting Sweden’s approach to other EU countries, while two-thirds of pouch users warn that new bans or restrictions would block Europe from becoming smoke-free.
“The clock is ticking. By resisting this reckless directive, Sweden can protect its citizens, defend its sovereignty and lead Europe toward a healthier, smoke-free future,” Dr. Human concluded.
Deadline for submissions: 16 September