Press Release
- A SERIES OF CONCESSIONS ACKNOWLEDGE HARM REDUCTION POWER OF POUCHES
- SETS COURSE FOR EVIDENCE-BASED REGULATION
- OFFICIALS COMMIT TO CONSULTATIONS OVER FLAVOURS AND PACKAGING, FOLLOWING CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
- POUCHES WILL BE “DISTINCT” FROM TOBACCO AND VAPES UNDER UK LAW THE GOVERNMENT has confirmed nicotine pouches are both safer than cigarettes and an effective harm reduction tool, in a series of concessions to 20isPlenty campaigners.
In a response letter from the Health Secretary’s offices, officials confirmed that pouches present a lower risk than smoking and must be regulated in a way that avoids driving adults back to cigarettes.
Campaigners say these concessions show why ministers should back a clear 20mg strength cap – the core goal of 20isPlenty, a collaborative campaign by harm reduction advocates We Vape, Considerate Pouchers, ecigclick, Planet of the Vapes and the Snus and Nicotine Pouch Users Alliance.
As well as the strength cap, the groups call for robust age limits and protection of access by adults, instead of blanket restrictions that treat all nicotine as if it were smoking.
While the government has yet to agree to the strength limit, it stated the following:
The Committee of Toxicity produced a report on nicotine pouches and found they may reduce the risks to smokers, confirming they are a harm reduction tool.
- That “nicotine pouches are likely to pose lower health risks than smoking, because they do not involve inhaling harmful substances produced by burning tobacco, such as tar and carbon monoxide”.
- The Government is “committed to ensuring that public health policy is evidence-based and proportionate”, setting a clear standard that any future regulations on nicotine pouches must meet.
- That oral nicotine products, including pouches, have “the potential to reduce the risks to smokers” when used as intended, confirming they are a harm reduction tool.
- Government recognises that nicotine products, including pouches, are treated as their own category under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, separate from both tobacco and vaping products, opening the door to distinct, proportionate regulation.
- It pledges to “carefully consider” the scope and impact of any restrictions on nicotine pouches “to avoid unintended consequences on adult smoking rates”, accepting poorly designed rules could push people back to cigarettes.
- That new regulation on flavours, ingredients, packaging and display will be subject to consultation, meaning stakeholders will have the opportunity to argue for balanced measures that protect youth while preserving adult access.
- It notes that the Department has commissioned further research on vaping and nicotine products, including a “living evidence map” of health harms, trends in use and smoking cessation, acknowledging policy should evolve with emerging data.
- Officials are engaging with trade bodies and the retail sector on new rules, signalling an openness to refine regulations in light of on-the-ground experience and market realities.
Considerate Pouchers UK Director Richard Crosby said:
These are major concessions. Government now openly accepts that nicotine pouches are lower risk than smoking, that they sit in a separate category from cigarettes, and that clumsy restrictions could increase adult smoking rates.
The logical next step is to lock that thinking into law with a clear 20mg cap, as per the 20isPlenty campaign, strict age limits and strong enforcement – not to wage a general war on nicotine.
The promise of consultations on flavours is also very welcome, as these are vital to help people switch from
cigarettes.We will continue to push for a 20mg cap to tackle super-strength products while preserving access to low-risk alternatives that help smokers quit.
Evidence-based regulation must protect adult rights, support nicotine users, and prevent access for minors.
People must also be aware nicotine pouches are confirmed as an effective harm reduction tool, so government health campaigns are vital.”
Mr Crosby had written to Health Minister Karin Smyth to seek answers on distinct regulation away from tobacco, a strength cap, public health campaigns and stronger enforcement.
The response letter highlighted nicotine was addictive and should not be used by minors. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make sales to under-18s illegal. The bill completed its committee stage in the House of Lords in November.
It is now awaiting report stage and third reading in the Lords, expected in early 2026, before it is granted Royal Assent.
Plans for a “smoke-free generation” will progressively ban legal tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, coming into effect from 2027.
For more information contact: media@we-vape.org
Visit: https://20isplenty.co.uk/
