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Tag: Iceland

  • Icelandic Snuff Sales Hurt By Pouches

    Icelandic Snuff Sales Hurt By Pouches

    Photo: Burtsc

    Rising sales of nicotine pouches are depressing demand for snuff in Iceland, reports Iceland Review, citing comments made by State Alcohol and Tobacco Co. Director Sveinn Víkingur Arnason.

    Iceland began producing snuff in 1941, and consumption peaked in 2019, when 46 tons were produced and sold domestically. Since then, the trend has been steadily downwards, with only 10 tons of snuff tobacco sold in 2023.

    While snuff is intended for nasal use, surveys have shown that it has been used predominantly orally in Iceland, which prohibits the sale and production of chewing tobacco.

    The decline in snuff sales has been driven in part by the growing popularity of nicotine pouches, which at ISK40 ($0.29) per gram are significantly cheaper than snuff. Snuff tobacco sold by the State Alcohol and Tobacco Co. sells for around ISK80 per gram.

    The main reason for this price difference is the fact that nicotine pouches and snuff tobacco fall under different tax schedules.

    Arnason said he expects the downward trend in snuff sales to continue.

  • Iceland Mulls New Restrictions on Nicotine

    Iceland Mulls New Restrictions on Nicotine

    Photo: Buttenkow

    Iceland’s Office of Health Promotion and Science launched a consultation on a draft law on nicotine products, which, if passed, would introduce age limits for nicotine consumption, ban e-cigarette flavors perceived to appeal to children and stipulate a permissible maximum nicotine concentration.

    Currently, the minimum purchase age for vapes in Iceland is 18, and the proposed bill would implement the same age limit for other nicotine products.

    Iceland currently has an adult smoking rate of 7 percent, the lowest in Europe apart from Sweden.

    According to Filter, the misinterpretation that nicotine consumption and smoking go hand-in-hand has distorted perceptions. “Nicotine is not the cause of death from smoking,” according to Yorkshire Cancer Research in England. “Nicotine is not a carcinogen; there is no evidence that sustained use of nicotine alone increases cancer risk. Of the three main causes of death from smoking (lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease), none are caused by nicotine. The harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke.”