Sweden - Clearing the Air

Exclusive: EU Commission Leak Points to Full Crackdown on Nicotine Pouches

A leak has revealed that the European Commission is preparing a set of proposals on nicotine pouches that could redefine the EU’s approach to tobacco harm reduction. The documents suggest measures far more restrictive than current WHO guidance, with serious implications for…

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“A cruel joke on Europe’s smokers”: French pouch ban to go ahead in April

With France pushing ahead with its criminalisation of nicotine pouches despite objections from seven other EU Member States, consumers and health policy advocates have slammed the measure, warning that it will criminalise ordinary Europeans crossing borders with safer nicotine products and push…

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EXCLUSIVE: Varheyli tweets, then deletes, false claim that nicotine causes cancer

A European Commissioner has come under fire for spreading misinformation about nicotine, just months after another senior EU official made similarly inaccurate claims about vaping. On September 30, Olivér Várhelyi, the Hungarian Commissioner responsible for health and animal welfare, wrote on X…

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Four countries leading the way in harm reduction

New evidence shows that four countries are proving safer nicotine alternatives can cut smoking rates, prevent disease and save lives. The findings come from The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, a new report that tracks how products such as nicotine…

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Safer nicotine products saving lives, experts say in call to WHO

International health experts are calling on governments to embrace safer nicotine alternatives as proven tools to cut smoking, prevent disease and save lives. The appeal comes in The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, a landmark new report published ahead of…

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Spain to ban vaping and smoking on beaches, bar terraces and stadiums

Spain is preparing a sweeping outdoor ban on both smoking and vaping. The draft law would outlaw their use on bar and restaurant terraces, beaches, stadiums, bus stops, children’s play areas and sports centres. Vapes, heated tobacco, shisha and nicotine pouches would…

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Nicotine pouch sales jump 92% in Wales as users report health boost

Nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly popular in Wales, with new figures showing sales volumes rose by 92 per cent between 2023 and 2024. A study reported by the South Wales Argus found that 59 per cent of people who started using nicotine…

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Experts warn Brussels tax hike risks reversing Sweden’s smoking decline

Health experts say Brussels is putting Sweden’s smoke-free success at risk, warning that a huge EU tax hike on nicotine pouches could dismantle the world’s leading harm reduction model. Smoke Free Sweden, a global public health initiative, submitted its response to the…

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EU tax plan would make smoke-free 2040 target “practically impossible,” warns harm reduction advocate

The European Union (EU) is facing a mounting backlash over proposals to impose sweeping new bloc-wide taxes on safer nicotine products. Advocates warn the measures would undermine public health goals, drive people back to smoking, and ignore scientific evidence on tobacco harm…

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