France implemented a broad ban on oral nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, with violations carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and fines reaching €400,000. The restrictions cover the use, possession, acquisition, and sale of nicotine pouches and certain nicotine lozenges, while exempting cigarettes, vaping products, and approved smoking-cessation products such as nicotine gums and inhalers.
French health authorities said the measure was driven by concerns over nicotine addiction, youth marketing, and potential health risks linked to high-dose nicotine products. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety previously warned that nicotine pouch promotion had become widespread on social media platforms targeting younger consumers. France is the first European country to criminalize possession and use of nicotine pouches, going beyond restrictions already introduced in countries including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria.
