Despite protests, the sale, import and even possession of nicotine pouches will be banned in France as of 1 March 2026. The French government announced this via its website over the weekend.
Already in February 2025, it became clear that the French government wants to stop the use of nicotine pouches in the country. But instead of regulating sales, as in many other countries, the French government chose to propose a total ban. However, the proposal was met with opposition from other EU countries.
Competing with cigarettes
Although nicotine pouches are not covered by the European Tobacco Products Directive, they can be freely sold in the EU. Nicotine pouches are often compared to e-cigarettes in terms of harm and their sale competes with cigarettes in the nicotine market. Smokeless nicotine use is a less harmful way to use nicotine than cigarette smoking. Several major tobacco companies manufacture and sell nicotine pouches, and in some countries, such as Sweden, sales of pouches account for a much larger share of revenue than cigarettes. Smoking in Sweden has also fallen sharply as sales of snus and e-cigarettes have increased, according to official reports.
A trade barrier
Several countries protested against the French ban, including Sweden. They considered the measures to be disproportionate to the risks, as well as the fact that cigarettes, a much more harmful product, can still be sold almost everywhere in France. According to the Swedish government, a ban would be a clear trade barrier that has no place in the EU internal market.
- "We are sending a clear signal to the other EU countries that we will stand up for our own industry and for our snus users," he told Expressen newspaper earlier this year.
Seeing snus as a poison
The French government still considered nicotine for "oral use" to be equivalent to a pure poison. It therefore believes that a ban is justified in order to protect the population. This view has been promoted by several organisations lobby organisations in the country.
"The production, manufacture, transport, import, export, possession, supply, transfer, acquisition and use of products for oral use containing nicotine will be prohibited", says the government in its final decree.
The winds began to change
Despite the protests, the European Commission ultimately did not object to the ban, which was interpreted as a tacit approval. The French Parliament was not consulted again either, despite many voices being raised recently in favour of turn the ban into a comprehensive regulation instead.
But this was not the case.
27 per cent smoke
The ban means that neither French people nor visitors to the country can legally carry even a tin of white snuff in their pocket. Earlier this year, France also banned the sale (but not the possession) of disposable vape pens.
Although taxes on cigarettes are very high in France (compared to Sweden), as many as 27% of the population in France currently use smoking tobacco and cigarettes to ingest nicotine. In Sweden, the corresponding figure is 5.7 per cent.
Regrets the decision
Tobacconists' Association in France, The Confederation of Buralists regrets the decision, pointing out that the government has completely avoided a debate on the issue. It also warns of a significant black market for nicotine pouches in France, similar to that for cigarettes.
"The ban will fuel parallel and cross-border markets and will deprive adult smokers of an alternative via a legal and controlled framework" writes the union in a press release.
