The Nordic Nicotine Pouches Alliance (NNPA) has blasted the French government’s proposed blanket ban on nicotine pouches, warning that such a move would undermine harm reduction efforts, violate EU principles, and deliver a significant setback to public health.
In its formal response submitted through the European Commission’s TRIS procedure, the Brussels-based NNPA labeled the draft decree as “profoundly misguided and counterproductive,” arguing it fails to consider France’s high smoking rates and the proven public health benefits of less harmful nicotine alternatives.
Currently, more than 31% of French adults use tobacco, with over 23% smoking daily, among the highest rates in Western Europe. The NNPA contends that banning oral nicotine products would remove one of the few viable lower-risk options for those unable or unwilling to quit nicotine entirely, and could drive many back to combustible tobacco.
“Nicotine pouches are among the least harmful forms of nicotine delivery,” the Alliance stated. “They contain no tobacco, no combustion, and no carcinogenic substances. Their risk profile is on par with medicinal nicotine products like gums or patches.”
The French proposal would outlaw the manufacture, sale, import, export, possession, and use of nicotine pouches, even by private citizens, effectively erasing the category from the French market. According to the NNPA, this approach stands in stark contrast to emerging regulation across the EU, where several Member States—including Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic—have introduced balanced frameworks governing nicotine pouch content, access, and marketing.
The NNPA also invoked Article 34 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which protects the free movement of goods within the single market. A total ban, it argues, amounts to an unjustified trade barrier, especially given that nicotine pouches are legal and regulated in 25 EU Member States and used by over 1.4 million citizens.
In its recent opinion, the French Council of State itself raised concerns about the proposed decree, citing a lack of necessity and proportionality. The Council concluded it had not received sufficient justification from the government to determine whether the ban was appropriate or lawful.
The Alliance instead advocates for “proportionate regulation,” such as restricting sales to minors, placing health warnings on packaging, introducing nicotine content caps, and limiting distribution to licensed tobacconists. These measures, it says, would preserve public health objectives while respecting personal choice and economic freedoms.
NNPA’s position aligns with evidence from Sweden, where widespread access to reduced-risk products—including nicotine pouches—has led to the EU’s lowest smoking rate (5.3%) and correspondingly low levels of smoking-related disease.
“Data from Sweden demonstrates that access to alternatives doesn’t recruit youth into nicotine use—it helps adults quit smoking.”
The Alliance urges French authorities and the European Commission to reconsider the draft decree and instead pursue evidence-based policies that support harm reduction. “A ban will not protect public health. It will push smokers away from safer options and entrench high-risk behaviours.”
