Luxembourg tightens regulation of nicotine pouches
June 1, 2024
Par: National Committee Against Smoking
Dernière mise à jour: June 1, 2024
Temps de lecture: 3 minutes

Following their ban in the Netherlands and Belgium, the future of nicotine pouches could be seriously compromised in Luxembourg, which is studying the possibility of significantly limiting the nicotine content of these products, in the interests of public health and the protection of younger generations.
These products are based on the principle of snus, which is banned throughout the European Union except Sweden, but without tobacco. They are presented as small white sachets containing nicotine, which the consumer places between their lip and gum, leaving the product to act for 20 minutes to an hour. Like disposable electronic cigarettes (puffs), these sachets are available in different flavors (mint, chocolate, melon, Cola, blueberry, etc.).
Alignment with tobacco products
On Wednesday 22 May, Luxembourg's Minister of Health, Martine Deprez, presented the government's amendments on the regulation of nicotine pouches to the members of the Health Committee. These amendments provide for aligning the regulation of nicotine pouches with that currently applied to tobacco. Thus, the sale of nicotine pouches should be prohibited to minors under 18, as well as the advertising or free distribution of these highly addictive products. The government has also indicated that it wishes to implement a dissuasive tax policy aimed at preventing young people from starting to consume, by introducing excise duties set at 22 euros per kilogram, and by applying a VAT of 17%.
Nicotine content of nicotine pouches in the sights of the Minister of Health
The government has also indicated that it wants to tackle the addictive power of the sachets by severely limiting the nicotine content of these products. Thus, as in Germany, the new regulations would authorize a maximum content of 0.048 milligrams par sachet. As reported by the media RTL Infos, the sales director of Heintz van Landewyck, a chain of tobacco product stores, such regulation could be fatal to the commercial development of nicotine pouches: "While a cigarette contains approximately 1 milligram of nicotine, if we reduce this quantity to 0.048 on nicotine pouches, we can clearly speak of a prohibition. The product will then be officially "dead in Luxembourg". However, a pure and simple ban on the product was ruled out by the Luxembourg Minister of Health, considering that these products remain easily accessible on the other side of the border. The Luxembourg producer considered that too strict regulation of nicotine pouches could encourage the emergence of a parallel market, and that it would simply be preferable to reserve the right to sell them to tobacco and newspaper stores.
FT