Calls grow for UK to ban cross-border online sales of nicotine and tobacco products

The UK should consider banning cross-border online sales of nicotine and tobacco products to stop overseas websites undermining domestic vape regulation and youth access controls, nicotine pouch retailer Northerner has said.

The call follows Norway’s new ban on cross-border online sales of nicotine and tobacco products, under which customs can stop and seize orders placed with retailers based outside Norway and shipped into the country. The restriction does not apply to online sales within Norway and has been introduced as part of the country’s tobacco control policy, with a particular aim of reducing youth access to nicotine products.

Markus Lindblad, Northerner’s head of legal and external affairs, said the nicotine market has evolved rapidly, with products such as vapes and nicotine pouches gaining popularity as alternatives to cigarettes, while governments across Europe have introduced widely differing rules – creating what he described as a “disparate collection of laws and regulations pulling in different directions”.

He pointed to contrasting approaches across the region, where nicotine pouches are widely available in countries including Sweden and Finland, while Belgium and the Netherlands have introduced total sales bans.

This patchwork regulation, he argued, becomes especially problematic for online sales, because consumers can bypass national controls “just a click away” by ordering from abroad – even where countries impose higher taxes, set nicotine limits or ban certain products entirely.

Why UK policymakers may consider a Norway-style ban

Lindblad outlined four key reasons a ban on cross-border online sales could appeal to UK policymakers:

• Enforcing UK rules: preventing consumers from circumventing domestic regulations – such as nicotine limits – by purchasing from foreign online retailers, ensuring UK measures like the Tobacco and Vapes Bill remain effective.
• Reducing illicit trade and improving safety: deterring consumers from purchasing products that may not meet UK safety and quality standards.
• Securing tax revenue: keeping tax receipts in the UK “where consumption occurs”, limiting revenue leakage.
• Protecting UK businesses: shielding compliant UK retailers from unfair competition from overseas sellers operating under different standards and cost structures.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact could be “undermined”

The comments come as the UK prepares for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, expected to become law later this year, which is set to introduce a new framework for tobacco and nicotine regulation with measures aimed at preventing youth access and tightening controls around novel nicotine products.

However, Lindblad warned the Bill’s positive effects could be weakened if consumers shift to buying from retailers overseas.

“This is where a cross-border online sales ban could play a role in safeguarding the public health objectives of legislation such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill,” he added, noting that a well-regulated domestic online sales market can be a powerful tool for the UK government to achieve its tobacco and health policy goals.

He said regulated UK online sales could deliver:

• Strict age-gating through stronger tech-enabled verification
• Better consumer information, including health warnings, ingredients and product details
• Safer access, ensuring consumers purchase only legally authorised products that meet UK standards

Lindblad concluded that if the UK were to follow Norway’s lead, a cross-border online sales ban could strengthen tobacco control delivery, protect consumers and reduce youth access risks – while still enabling the UK to use domestic digital retail as part of a regulated market.

“Such a ban would be a logical accompaniment to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill,” he said.