Sweden has stepped up its opposition to proposed nicotine pouch bans in France and Spain, sending formal letters to both governments and calling the measures “absurd.”
The correspondence, signed by Swedish trade minister Benjamin Dousa and dated 24 September, urges Paris and Madrid to reconsider the restrictions, warning they risk breaching EU trade rules and penalising Swedish tourists.
“We are very worried,” Dousa told Expressen. “It’s as absurd as if we banned French baguettes – their trade minister would be on the first flight to Stockholm.”
The letters mark Sweden’s latest effort to defend its harm reduction model, which credits nicotine pouches and other smoke-free products for driving smoking rates to the lowest level in Europe.
Concerns over criminal penalties
France’s proposed law, due to take effect on 1 April 2026, would ban the sale and possession of nicotine pouches, classifying them as “venomous substances” under French health legislation. Anyone caught with the products could face fines of up to €375,000 and prison sentences of up to five years.
Spain’s draft law would set a nicotine limit of 0.99 mg per pouch, a threshold that would effectively remove most products from the market.
In its letters, Sweden said the French and Spanish proposals “may hinder all exports of the product” and “prohibit all production, manufacture, import, export and even possession.” The government asked France to clarify how nicotine pouches from other EU countries could “transit through French territory without restriction.”
While Sweden said it recognises the countries’ public health concerns, the letters warned that the measures go “further than necessary” and urged “less restrictive” solutions in line with EU single-market principles.
Earlier objections and Sweden’s success story
The move follows Sweden’s earlier ‘Detailed Opinion’ submitted to the European Commission in June opposing France’s draft decree, after it had already challenged Spain’s legislation earlier in the year.
France’s proposed penalties are among the toughest in Europe, exceeding those for possession of illegal drugs such as heroin or cocaine.
Sweden argues that nicotine pouches have played a key role in its near smoke-free status. The country’s smoking rate has fallen below five per cent, compared with around 25 per cent in France.
According to Smoke Free Sweden, Swedish men have a 61 per cent lower lung cancer death rate than the European average, and overall cancer mortality is 34 per cent lower.
“Sweden must be applauded for standing up for its harm reduction model and defending the rights of adult consumers across Europe,” said Dr Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden. “Their continued advocacy shows a commitment to public health through innovation, not prohibition.”
‘You should be able to carry a can in your pocket’
“If you’re a tourist in France, it should be obvious that you can bring your snus can without risking punishment,” Dousa told Expressen. “The French law criminalises simply having a pouch in your pocket.”
He told Svenska Magasinet that Sweden is open to regulation but believes the proposed bans “go too far,” saying many people have stopped smoking through snus and pouch use.
Next steps
Sweden’s letters were sent under the EU’s TRIS process, which allows member states to raise concerns about national laws that could impact the internal market. If unresolved, Sweden could refer the cases to the European Commission or the European Court of Justice.
