Finland’s parliament debates nicotine pouch regulations as government proposes flavor restrictions

This month, Finland’s parliament, Eduskunta, approved a change to the tobacco law that established a regulated market for nicotine pouches. The amendment limited the approved flavors of nicotine pouches to mint, menthol, tea, ginger, rosemary, and wood. However, today, Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen proposed that the law approved by the parliament be left unvalidated. The government plans to present a new, revised proposal to the parliament, which will revert to the original plan that restricts approved flavors to only mint and menthol.

This revised approach conflicts with existing regulations, as menthol is not permitted in tobacco products; the last day menthol cigarettes could be sold was May 19, 2020. Grahn-Laasonen emphasized that the original objective of the government program is to ban flavors that could attract children and teenagers to use nicotine pouches. Previously, the market featured a variety of flavors, including watermelon and licorice.

“It is an important goal for the government to ensure that nicotine pouches fall under tobacco law regulations, with stricter oversight to prohibit flavors appealing to children and teenagers while implementing additional restrictions on nicotine pouch legislation,” Grahn-Laasonen stated during a parliamentary session today.

According to the minister, these stricter regulations must also address the issue of the gray economy, which she identified as a significant problem. The market for nicotine pouches was liberalized in the spring of 2023.