Belgium has already introduced a ban on nicotine pouches. Now, both France and Poland are considering similar proposals. What’s driving this push for prohibition without first examining facts, especially the results in cutting smoking prevalence in Sweden?

The fear of nicotine pouches seems to be spreading like wildfire across the EU, with officials in Brussels even discussing an EU-level ban. Meanwhile, individual European countries continue to wrestle with how to regulate nicotine products.

The primary goal should be fighting smoking. But if smoking is the issue, why is there so much fear surrounding nicotine pouches?

“Unfortunately, it seems like moral panic is triumphing over facts. I wish more people in Europe could learn from Sweden’s results, where so many smokers have successfully quit. They’ve chosen nicotine pouches over cigarettes for health reasons,” says Patrik Strömer, Secretary General of the Association of Swedish Snus Manufacturers.

Belgium’s sudden ban on nicotine pouches

When Belgium’s ban on nicotine pouches came into effect on October 1, 2024, nicotine pouches weren’t even popular in the country. 

Despite the national medicines agency lifting its classification of nicotine pouches as pharmaceuticals—allowing them to be sold freely—sales never took off.

Yet the ban passed with broad majority support.

France’s TikTok stars hyped “le snus”

France’s relationship with “le snus” may be rooted in a TikTok debate that erupted in early 2023. 

In an article titled ‘Misguided’ French fears following le snus TikTok trend, Snusforumet reported how media outlets and various experts made unfounded claims about nicotine pouches.

For example, French addiction specialist Dr. Michaël Bazin reportedly told the newspaper Midi Libre that one portion of snus is equivalent to three cigarettes.

On October 30 this year, French health minister Geneviève Darrieussecq announced plans to implement a ban within weeks.

Poland: ‘Pouches cause oral cancer’

Poland’s fear of nicotine pouches stems from persistent but long-since debunked claims about snus causing oral, throat, and pancreatic cancer, as well as cardiovascular problems. However, the claims have been refuted thanks to extensive research. 

Moreover, no such evidence exists to such claims about nicotine pouches. Nonetheless, Poland is pushing for a total ban on nicotine pouches—and fast.

“I want the draft to be ready before the end of the year,” said Poland’s Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna to the public broadcaster TVP Info.

Deadly misinformation in Europe

Despite a lack of scientific evidence that nicotine pouches act as a gateway to smoking, many countries seem to believe this claim. 

On the contrary, a Norwegian study shows that nicotine pouches help smokers quit. In Sweden, smokers are switching from cigarettes to alternative nicotine products like snus and nicotine pouches for health reasons.

This demonstrates that when smokers have the opportunity to choose alternative nicotine products, they often do so, helping them overcome their dangerous addiction to smoking.

Strömer believes the disinformation spreading across Europe is harmful, resulting in more people continuing to smoke rather than switching to safer alternatives.

“No serious person can claim that snus is as dangerous as smoking,” he says.

“The common argument is ‘the best thing is to avoid nicotine altogether,’ but that’s unrealistic given how many millions of smokers exist within the EU. Unfortunately, the campaign against nicotine has left policymakers across the EU without a science-based foundation for making the right decisions for their citizens.”