Poland's Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna announced strict new measures targeting synthetic nicotine products during a recent TVP Info interview. The Ministry of Health plans to implement a comprehensive ban on synthetic nicotine pouches, marking a significant shift in the country's tobacco control policy.
Minister Leszczyna emphasized the critical distinction between traditional snus, which already faces prohibition under EU directives, and synthetic nicotine pouches that have emerged as a concerning trend among Polish youth. These pouches deliver nicotine doses exceeding those found in conventional cigarettes through oral absorption between the lip and gum.
The Ministry began developing this legislation in October 2024, with Leszczyna initially expressing her goal to complete the draft by year's end. Under the proposed regulations, synthetic nicotine products will require medical product classification, limiting their distribution exclusively to pharmacies, similar to current nicotine replacement therapies like nicotine gum.
The timeline for parliamentary consideration remains contingent on the consultation process. "The legislative process takes time," Leszczyna noted, while maintaining her firm stance that "synthetic nicotine pouches will be banned."
