EXCLUSIVE: Spain to block Tobacco Tax Directive, calling for lower rates on rolling tobacco.
Spain’s demand for a lower tax rate on rolling tobacco threatens agreement on the EU’s proposed tobacco tax directive.
Nicotine policy, in perspective.
Independent reporting and analysis on nicotine policy and harm-reduction in Europe.
The latest developments
View all 
Nicotine pouch bans leave multimillion-pound illegal markets thriving, report finds
A TobaccoIntelligence report examines illicit nicotine pouch markets in countries with bans and other restrictions.
Heart harm claims from study of just 17 vapers challenged by experts
Experts question whether a small study of 17 vapers can support claims about vaping’s effects on the heart.
Investigations
View all
INVESTIGATION: Who’s behind the anti-nicotine propaganda?
Pharmaceutical companies selling costly treatments for smoking-related diseases also fund organisations campaigning for tighter restrictions on safer nicotine products. Peter examines whether those relationships deserve closer scrutiny.
Analysis & opinion
View allGutka: Tobacco Control’s Indifference to Improving Public Health
David Zaruk argues that global tobacco control’s approach to gutka exposes a contradiction in its public health priorities.
A story of two consultations: picking apart the Commission’s summary report
Peter Beckett examines what the European Commission’s summary of its nicotine consultations leaves out — and why the design of the questions matters.
More from our reporting
View all
France rejects lifetime tobacco ban and targets health misinformation
French MPs have thrown out a plan to stop the next generation ever being legally sold tobacco.
Science
View allHeart harm claims from study of just 17 vapers challenged by experts
Experts question whether a small study of 17 vapers can support claims about vaping’s effects on the heart.
Smokers still getting the wrong message on vaping risks, English data shows
New English survey data highlights a persistent gap between smokers’ understanding of vaping risks and the evidence on harm and quitting.
Stay ahead of policy.
Track proposals, consultations, decisions and the next confirmed dates.
Policy Track a countryInterviews
View all
Data
View all Nicotine pouch bans leave multimillion-pound illegal markets thriving, report finds
A TobaccoIntelligence report examines illicit nicotine pouch markets in countries with bans and other restrictions.
Smoking among young Swiss people falls by almost a quarter in two years
The proportion of young people smoking in Switzerland fell by almost a quarter between 2023 and 2025, while monthly vaping remained broadly stable.
Track a country
Follow policy as it changes across Europe.