Pushback Against Spanish Ban
EU nations are pushing back against Spain’s ‘dangerous’ nicotine pouch ban, according to harm reduction experts at Smoke Free Sweden
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by Dave Cross
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EU nations are pushing back against Spain’s ‘dangerous’ nicotine pouch ban, according to harm reduction experts at Smoke Free Sweden. A powerful bloc of European Union member states has formally opposed Spain’s proposed ban on nicotine pouches, as the international health experts warn that adult access to safer nicotine alternatives is essential in the fight against smoking.
Last week, the European Commission 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.
Smoke Free Sweden is a movement which encourages other countries to follow the Swedish model when it comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction. It believes that Sweden’s smoke-free success can be attributed to its open attitude towards regulated alternative nicotine products.
References:
- Smoke Free Sweden - www.smokefreesweden.org
Photo Credit:
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
