Nick Ricketts, PMI’s president of oral products, said regulatory clarity is essential for the development of nicotine pouch markets and the protection of consumers. In an interview with Logos Press, he said, “When there are no rules, the market shifts to the illegal segment.”
Ricketts argued that nicotine pouches should be integrated into regulated systems rather than banned, with clear product standards, nicotine limits, flavor rules, age verification, and marketing restrictions. He pointed to regulatory models such as FDA oversight in the U.S. and structured national frameworks in parts of Europe as more effective than outright prohibitions. He said bans can push demand into illicit channels, weakening quality control and age enforcement, citing Germany and Belgium as examples. He highlighted Sweden as a benchmark, where long-term access to smoke-free alternatives and supportive tax policy have coincided with very low smoking rates. He also said PMI views nicotine pouches as part of its broader smoke-free portfolio, with growing availability across global markets under increasing regulatory oversight.
