The Tobacco Act will be amended on 1 August 2025 – What has to be taken into account when selling nicotine pouches?
The amendment to the Tobacco Act concerning nicotine pouches will enter into force on 1 August 2025. The amendment introduces new restrictions on the sale, composition and packaging of products. Some of the amendments will enter into force after a transitional period. Current restrictions, including the marketing and display ban, as well as prohibited sales to minors, will remain in force. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) is gradually updating its guidelines for the Tobacco Act and the registers it maintains to correspond to the amendment.
The Tobacco Act will include a new definition of a non-combustible nicotine product, which covers nicotine pouches and other products that closely resemble them. Typically, they are snuff-like products that do not contain any tobacco plant. However, the products contain nicotine and their purpose and appearance correspond to regular snuff.
Apply for a retail license or submit a wholesale notification
In the future, the retail of non-combustible nicotine products will be subject to a licence, and a wholesale notification must be submitted. Licence applications and notifications must be addressed to the municipal authority. A party selling nicotine pouches must submit an application or notification to the municipal authority within three months of the entry into force of the act, i.e. no later than 31 October 2025. If the application or notification has been submitted within the deadline, sales can continue for a maximum of one year from the entry into force of the act, i.e. until 31 July 2026, even if the processing of the application in the municipality was still in progress.
Nicotine pouches cannot be sold online or used in schools
From 1 August 2025, non-combustible nicotine products cannot be sold via remote channels, i.e. through the Internet in practice. The prohibition also applies to cross-border distance sales.
In the future, private persons cannot acquire non-combustible nicotine products by post, goods transport or in any other similar way from outside Finland. However, products acquired before the entry into force of the legal amendment can be accepted.
From 1 August 2025, the Tobacco Act prohibits the use of non-combustible nicotine products inside and outside pre-primary, primary and secondary schools. The use of these products will also be prohibited in daycare centres and playgrounds.
Restrictions on the amount of nicotine, additives in products and packaging
The composition of non-combustible nicotine products will be restricted with a six-month transitional period, i.e. from 1 February 2026. After this, products cannot be sold if they contain more than 16.6 mg/g of nicotine. The weight of a single nicotine pouch must be 0.5 grams at minimum and 1 gram at maximum. Products must not include any additives that produce a flavour other than tobacco, menthol or mint. There will also be restrictions on other additives used in products.
After the transitional period of six months, from 1 February 2026, the packaging of non-combustible nicotine products must include certain mandatory labelling, including health warnings in Finnish and Swedish. The uniform appearance of packaging and products will become mandatory after a one-year transitional period on 1 August 2026.
Manufacturers or importers must submit a product notification
In the future, manufacturers or importers of a non-combustible nicotine product must submit a product notification to Valvira before the product is sold or otherwise handed over to consumers. For products available for sale when the amended Tobacco Act enters into force, product notifications must be submitted within six months of the entry into force of the act, i.e. no later than 31 January 2026.
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Further information
Reija Kauppi, Head Specialist, tel. +358 295 209 429
[email protected]