Report highlights major risks of proposed Danish nicotine pouch regulations
December 5, 2024
Photo: iStock
Leading think tank Tholos Foundation has released a new research report exposing the risks of the proposed Danish regulations limiting nicotine content in nicotine pouches to 9 mg per pouch.
The study, conducted in collaboration with international polling firm IPSOS and Danish economic consulting firm HBS Economics reveals alarming potential outcomes if the proposed nicotine limit is implemented.
Key findings include:
- Half (50%) of current nicotine pouch users would seek alternative purchasing channels, either online or across the border of other EU countries
- One in five (18%) users might return to smoking
- Proposed limit threatens Denmark’s remarkable progress in reducing smoking rates from 19 per cent to 14 per cent between 2018 and 2023
The report also found that three out of four (75%) users originally chose nicotine pouches for health-related reasons, primarily to reduce or quit smoking, and one third (33%) of adults recognise these products as safer alternatives to cigarettes.
Projected retail losses because of the move amount to 400 million DKK in 2025, escalating to 600 million DKK by 2030. In addition, the government is set to lose 296 million DKK in 2025 in anticipated tax revenue, increasing to 435 million DKK by 2030.
Over half of Danish adults oppose the proposed nicotine limit, with four out five (80%) of users viewing nicotine pouches as critical to move and stay away from cigarettes.
“These findings underscore the potential for significant consequences in terms of public health,” said Tim Andrews, director of consumer issues at the Tholos Foundation. “The proposed nicotine limit in nicotine pouches risks reversing hard-won progress in reducing smoking while creating new challenges, including black market growth and substantial economic losses.”
In 2022 the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) conducted a comprehensive research into nicotine pouches, confirming their benefits in reducing health risks compared to smoking, and recommended regulation based around an optimal level of nicotine of 16.6mg per pouch.
