France to Ban Nicotine Pouches 

The French government plans to ban nicotine pouches, citing concerns about underage use.

In an interview with Le Parisien published on Oct. 30, Health Minister Genevieve Darrieussecq said that pouches “are dangerous products because they contain high doses of nicotine.”

“The marketing of these products is directly targeted at young people, and I hope that we can protect our young people,” Darrieussecq was quoted as saying. She added that the ban will be announced in the coming weeks.

Nicotine companies have been marketing “modern oral” products as safer alternatives to smoking cigarettes. But according to Darrieussecq, they can be just as dangerous, “especially when they are used not by former smokers but by young people,” she said.

She argued that the pouches risk inducing nicotine addiction and serve as an entry into smoking.

Tobacco harm reduction advocates criticized the move.

“By banning nicotine pouches, Minister Darrieussecq is closing off an effective, far less harmful path for millions who struggle to quit smoking,” said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance.

“Pouches have proven to help smokers transition away from cigarettes in other countries and are considerably safer. Rather than offering options, France risks pushing people toward smoking or the black market.”

Others questioned whether a ban would be effective. In Germany, where tobacco-free nicotine pouches are officially banned, they remain accessible and popular among young people, according to experts from the Tobacco Outpatient Clinic at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.