New Zealand smokers turn to nicotine pouches despite sales ban
Nicotine pouch use has risen among smokers surveyed in New Zealand, with some using the products to quit cigarettes or cut down despite restrictions on sales.
Nicotine policy, in perspective.
Independent reporting and analysis on nicotine policy and harm-reduction in Europe.
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Ireland to increase vape tax by 40 per cent from January
Ireland will raise its tax on vape liquids by 40 per cent from January, adding another €2 in duty to a 10ml refill bottle before VAT.
UK smoking falls below one in 10 ahead of nicotine pouch age restrictions
Smoking among UK adults fell below one in 10 in 2025, official figures show, as retailers prepare for new restrictions on sales of nicotine pouches and vaping products.
Investigations
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INVESTIGATION: Who’s behind the anti-nicotine propaganda?
Pharmaceutical companies selling costly treatments for smoking-related diseases also fund organisations campaigning for tighter restrictions on safer nicotine products. Peter examines whether those relationships deserve closer scrutiny.
Analysis & opinion
View allA story of two consultations: picking apart the Commission’s summary report
Peter Beckett examines what the European Commission’s summary of its nicotine consultations leaves out — and why the design of the questions matters.
INVESTIGATION: Who’s behind the anti-nicotine propaganda?
Pharmaceutical companies selling costly treatments for smoking-related diseases also fund organisations campaigning for tighter restrictions on safer nicotine products. Peter examines whether those relationships deserve closer scrutiny.
More from our reporting
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French vapers get budget reprieve as new tax left out of initial draft
French vapers and businesses have been given a temporary reprieve after the initial draft of the country’s 2027 budget left out any new tax on e-liquids.
Science
View allVaping cancer claims challenged by limits of laboratory study
A laboratory study found cancer-like changes in lung cells exposed to vaping extract, but its findings do not establish that vaping causes cancer in people.
New Zealand smokers turn to nicotine pouches despite sales ban
Nicotine pouch use has risen among smokers surveyed in New Zealand, with some using the products to quit cigarettes or cut down despite restrictions on sales.
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Estonia’s smoking rate falls by more than a quarter as vaping more than triples
Estonia has recorded one of Europe’s clearest recent shifts away from smoking, with current smoking falling by more than a quarter while vaping more than tripled between 2020 and 2024.
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