Netherlands Bans Nicotine Pouches
The Netherlands has announced a ban on tobacco-free nicotine pouches containing 0.035 milligrams or more of nicotine
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by Dave Cross
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The ban on nicotine pouches (snus) without tobacco takes place with immediate effect. It describes them: “Nicotine bags are small bags containing a powder containing nicotine. It is also called snus. These nicotine pouches contain no tobacco. Users put a nicotine pouch under the upper lip. They get nicotine through the mucous membrane and saliva.”
“Nicotine bags with 0.035 or more milligrams of nicotine per bag may no longer be sold or traded in the Netherlands. The product is harmful to health,” states the government.
It asks: “Are you an importer or seller of nicotine pouches? Then stop selling these products. Make agreements with your suppliers and customers about what should be done with these products.”
It justifies the move by stating: “Harmful foods are prohibited. Analysis by the NVWA has shown that the nicotine pouches are referred to as foodstuffs. Nicotine bags are prohibited because they are harmful to health due to the nicotine they contain. Users can also become addicted to nicotine. That also applies to young people. The harmfulness of nicotine pouches is apparent from research by the RIVM.”
Nicotine bags are currently not covered by the Dutch Tobacco and Smoking Products Act because they do not contain tobacco. These products do fall under the Commodities Act.
“Research by the RIVM has shown that nicotine bags with 0.035 or more milligrams of nicotine per bag are harmful foods. That is why these products are prohibited in the Netherlands under the Commodities Act.”
More information about this can be found in the letter of 9 November 2021 from State Secretary Blokhuis of VWS.
With reference to e-liquid flavours, the government has just stated: “Prior to the summer recess, your Chamber received the General Administrative Order (AMvB) to regulate the flavours of liquids for e-cigarettes as part of the hanging procedure. This procedure has now been completed.
“The ministerial regulation will contain an exhaustive list of flavourings that may still be added to the liquids for e-cigarettes, with the starting point that only liquids with a tobacco flavour will be on the market. In order to be able to draw up this list, I asked RIVM to make an analysis of the flavourings in the e-liquids that have been registered for the Dutch market in the European Common Entrygate system (EU-CEG).
“RIVM has looked at, among other things, whether flavourings are added more often in tobacco flavours or in sweet flavours. Based on this analysis, RIVM proposes a list of 23 flavourings. In the annex I send your Chamber the research report 'Taste-determining additives in liquids for cigarettes: a proposal for an exhaustive list' of the RIVM.”
References:
Dutch announcement of pouch ban - https://www.nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/roken-en-tabak/verbod-op-nicotinezakjes-snus-zonder-tabak
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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