France bans nicotine pouches, warning Finnish travelers of heavy fines and jail time

Effective this spring, France prohibited all oral nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, gums, lozenges and liquids, treating them like controlled drugs. The law targets marketing to youths and allows penalties of up to several hundred thousand euros and possible years of incarceration for possession or small-scale import. Finnish authorities have noted an uptick in questions at the Paris consulate after the foreign ministry revised its travel guidance.

Mika Kukkonen, acting head of the Finnish embassy in Paris, says the ban is strictly enforced and advises travelers to avoid bringing any nicotine pouches into the country. The French stance is among the toughest in Europe, with Belgium, the Netherlands and Lithuania also banning sales, while Spain restricts nicotine levels to one milligram per gram of product.