A leaked draft of the European Commission’s proposed Tobacco Tax Directive has sent shockwaves across public health and policy communities. Among its most controversial measures: an unprecedented tax hike on nicotine pouches—Sweden’s leading tool in its harm reduction strategy. The plan suggests increasing the tax on pouches in Sweden by over 650%, from 207 SEK/kg…
By Phil Hudson, Co-Founder & Associate Director @ GINN UK POLICY SHIFT: DISPOSABLE VAPES OUT, RESPONSIBILITY IN On 1 June 2025, the UK initiated a transformative public health and environmental move, the full-scale ban on disposable vapes.Targeting youth usage and the 5million+ weekly waste burden, the law now mandates sales of reusable devices only, with…
As nicotine pouches continue to gain global attention—praised by some as a safer alternative, and feared by others as a new public health risk—one claim is appearing with increasing frequency: “Pouches contain more nicotine than cigarettes.” While this may be technically true in terms of total nicotine content, it is fundamentally misleading when used to…
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024 (GSTHR) delivers one of the clearest pictures to date of where the world stands in its efforts to reduce smoking-related death and disease through safer nicotine products (SNPs). As the report reveals, the momentum for harm reduction is growing—but so too are the policy obstacles, misconceptions, and…
In 2025, Kenya became one of the first African countries to implement a fully integrated legal framework for regulating nicotine pouches. The government’s robust approach has aligned nicotine pouches with conventional tobacco products under national health law, closing critical loopholes and signaling a significant shift in the country’s public health policy. The newly gazetted rules,…
Nicotine pouches have emerged as a key innovation in the fight against smoking-related disease—offering a clean, discreet, and combustion-free option for adults seeking to quit cigarettes. Yet despite their potential, one group remains consistently underserved: low-income communities. These are the very populations most affected by smoking-related harm, and yet they are often the last to…
As organizations continue to refine their approaches to employee health, safety, and productivity, the rise of nicotine pouches presents a new consideration for workplace wellness strategies. Traditionally, smoking cessation support has centered on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), education, and smoke-free policies. But today, a growing number of employers are beginning to acknowledge the role that…
Australia Queensland’s 2025 Amendment Regulation now classifies nicotine pouches as “illicit nicotine products,” creating new offences for their supply or possession in a business context and imposing penalty-infringement notices up to 200 penalty units for individuals and 1,000 for corporations. South Australia has banned nicotine pouches under its new illicit-products framework, treating them on par…
As the landscape of nicotine products evolves, much of the focus has rightly been placed on safety, efficacy, and regulation. Yet there is another equally important dimension that receives far less attention: dignity. For millions of adult smokers trying to quit, dignity—and the discretion that helps preserve it—can be a determining factor in whether they…
By Shem Baldeosingh, Director The Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN), with the benefit of Joel Rubenstein’s vast expertise in the category, is working a comprehensive policy position on nicotine pouches and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), reaffirming our commitment to advancing harm reduction through innovative, science-backed alternatives to smoking. GINN strongly supports the availability of…