Two-thirds of Spanish nicotine pouch users use them to quit smoking.

In recent years, Spain has experienced significant growth in the use of non-combustion nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and, more recently, nicotine pouches; this has been accompanied by a progressive decline in traditional tobacco use. As a result, the government has introduced severe restrictions, such as limiting the nicotine concentration to 0.99 mg per pouch and banning all flavors except tobacco, in an attempt to curb their spread. In response, a recent survey by the international consulting firm Dynata reveals that 84% of Spanish nicotine pouch users oppose these measures, and 90% consider flavors a key element in quitting smoking . In fact, the main reasons for their use, according to those surveyed, are to reduce or quit smoking, obtain satisfaction without smoke, and avoid the smell of cigarettes.

For many consumers, pouches represent a less harmful and more discreet tool for combating tobacco addiction. According to the study, limiting access to these products could lead to unintended consequences: one-third of users would return to smoking, and another third would turn to unregulated markets. Organizations such as the Tholos Foundation are calling on the government to adopt a regulatory approach that takes into account the potential of these products to contribute to reducing smoking .

Authorities argue that its use could create a new dependence on nicotine and make its use more commonplace, although some experts warn that excessive regulation could have counterproductive effects.

Experts such as Karl Fagerström , a Swedish psychiatrist and expert in the field of smoking, defend nicotine pouches as an effective tool for quitting smoking. According to Fagerström, "pure nicotine is much less harmful than burning tobacco" and, without the risks of smoke , can help smokers abandon conventional cigarettes. Along these lines, a comparative study found that nicotine pouches contain lower levels of toxic compounds than burning tobacco.

The expert also points out that banning flavors or limiting concentrations could make quit strategies less effective, especially among adult smokers, and could lead more people to turn to illicit products or return to cigarettes. This approach is part of the harm reduction strategy adopted in countries like Sweden, where the use of snus and similar products has helped the Scandinavian country reduce its smoking rate to 4.5%, well below the European Union 's 26%.

On the other hand, public health professionals and pulmonologists , such as representatives of SEPAR and doctors in Spanish hospitals, warn of the dangers of standardizing nicotine pouches. In the report by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany, tobacco-specific nitrosamines were identified in more than half of the pouches analyzed and determined that their absorption can raise blood nicotine levels above those of traditional tobacco, increasing health risks. This study , meanwhile, indicates that the highest concentrations of this compound were 13 ng of NNN and 5.4 ng of NNK per pouch, lower than those in most cigarettes, which range between 33 ng and 323 ng and between 40 ng and 246 ng, respectively.

Regarding regulation, the German BfR Institute considers a limit of up to 16.6 mg of nicotine per pouch compatible with typical cigarette consumption levels, supporting its use in harm reduction strategies. However, the Spanish government proposes stricter regulations—0.99 mg of nicotine and only tobacco flavor—as part of a reform that seeks to limit promotion, flavors, and points of sale.

The royal decree proposed by the Ministry of Health, which introduces new restrictions on non-tobacco and combustion-free products, has received objections from the National Commission on Markets and Competition and six European Union Member States. These countries warn of obstacles to the internal market if Spain imposes unjustified limitations on products sold in other EU countries , and the CNMC states that the restrictions on business freedom sought in this case require a law, not a royal decree. Regarding nicotine pouches in particular, the CNMC has also issued a statement, indicating that the measures relating to the prohibition of flavors and the maximum nicotine level are not supported by sufficient empirical evidence to demonstrate that they comply with the principles of good regulation, and Sweden interprets the 0.99 mg nicotine limit as a de facto ban on the product. In response to these criticisms, the Ministry of Health has defended the validity of the draft and announced that it will strengthen the scientific evidence in the regulatory impact report for the decree.

Doctors from the Tobacco Harm Reduction Platform, including Fagerström, are calling for a model similar to the Swedish one , where taxes and restrictions are adjusted to the risk of the product and have managed to reduce the mortality rate from all tobacco-related diseases by 39.6% compared to the EU average, according to the study The Swedish Experience .

In conclusion, the perspective of professionals is mixed and complex. The challenge is to design regulations based on scientific evidence that maximize the benefits for public health without minimizing the risks.

In recent years, Spain has experienced significant growth in the use of non-combustion nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and, more recently, nicotine pouches; this has been accompanied by a progressive decline in traditional tobacco use. As a result, the government has introduced severe restrictions, such as limiting the nicotine concentration to 0.99 mg per pouch and banning all flavors except tobacco, in an attempt to curb their spread. In response, a recent survey by the international consulting firm Dynata reveals that 84% of Spanish nicotine pouch users oppose these measures, and 90% consider flavors a key element in quitting smoking . In fact, the main reasons for their use, according to those surveyed, are to reduce or quit smoking, obtain satisfaction without smoke, and avoid the smell of cigarettes.