France to ban nicotine pouches in 2026, industry slams ‘ideological’ move

France has confirmed that it will ban the sale, use and possession of nicotine pouches from March 2026, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from harm reduction advocates and manufacturers, who warn it will fuel illicit trade and deprive adult smokers of a safer alternative to cigarettes.

The new measure, published in the government gazette on 6 September, extends France’s recent wave of tobacco and nicotine restrictions. Disposable e-cigarettes were banned at the end of February 2025, while smoking has been prohibited in public parks, gardens, beaches, and near schools since July.

Announcing the pouch ban, health minister Catherine Vautrin said the government was acting to protect young people. “Nicotine is now considered a poisonous substance due to its harmful effects, and its recreational use presents a risk of initiating smoking, particularly among young people,” she told AFP.

The prohibition will apply to “all products for oral use containing nicotine, with the exception of medications and medical devices.” That includes portion pouches, gums, lozenges, liquids, strips, beads, and pastes, but not chewing tobacco. The government has pointed to a sharp rise in nicotine-related poisonings among adolescents, with French poison control centres logging an increase from three cases in 2020 to 86 in 2022. Most incidents involved young people aged 12–17.

Authorities argue that the move supports France’s ambition for a “tobacco-free generation.” But critics say the decision is out of step with science and international best practice.

Harm reduction groups condemn “ideological” policy

The Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN) described the ban as a “serious setback for public health” that prioritises ideology over evidence.

“For France’s 15 million smokers, this ban removes a category of lower-risk alternatives at a time when smoking continues to claim over 75,000 lives every year,” GINN said in a statement. “Instead of protecting young people, prohibition is likely to replicate the failure of previous bans, as seen with disposable e-cigarettes, which remained easily accessible through parallel markets.”

GINN argued that decades of research show that while nicotine is addictive, it is the combustion of tobacco that causes most cancers, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. By banning pouches outright, France was ignoring the “risk continuum” and undermining innovation in harm reduction.

“Nicotine is addictive, but combustion is deadly,” GINN said. “Safer alternatives like nicotine pouches should be regulated responsibly, not banned outright.”

Manufacturers warn of black market growth

Swedish Smokeless, makers of nicotine pouch brands Siberia, White Fox and HIT, said France’s approach amounted to “supporting the black market,” given its already high rates of illicit tobacco trade.

“The nicotine pouch ban will be problematic for people who use nicotine pouches as an alternative to smoking. But ‘luckily’, the French have not banned cigarettes – the number one cause of preventable death in the country,” the company said in a blog post.

The manufacturer argued that claims of toxicity were misleading. “Billions of nicotine pouches are sold and used all around the world. Still, nobody has been seriously injured, become ill or died because of them… From a pure health and safety perspective, banning cigarettes, alcohol and even raw oysters would have a bigger impact on public health.”

Swedish Smokeless warned that prohibition will not stop consumers but instead hand organised crime an opportunity to profit. “The real winners of bans and extreme tax policies are in organised crime. As soon as something people really want is banned or slapped with extreme taxes, the black market celebrates.”

Haypp Group urges boycott of champagne

Retailer Haypp Group took an even more provocative stance, urging customers worldwide to boycott French champagne and reconsider holidaying in the country.

“We want to do all we can to send a message to the French government that this ban is ill-conceived and will do more harm than good,” said Markus Lindblad, Haypp’s head of legal and external affairs.

Lindblad noted that France still has a smoking prevalence of 23 per cent, far higher than the UK’s 12 per cent. “Nicotine pouches are an effective alternative to cancer-causing cigarettes, so completely banning them removes the option for French smokers. Absurdly, this ban doesn’t include chewing tobacco, which is known to be cancer-causing.”

Haypp also warned that the law will criminalise possession as well as sale, meaning UK holidaymakers travelling with nicotine pouches could face fines or even imprisonment. “Criminalising possession won’t eliminate demand,” the group said. “A ban can run the risk of driving the market underground and across borders, leading to unregulated products which can have dangerous health risks.”