By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
Regulatory framework coming: Cyprus lawmakers advanced legislation that would regulate nicotine pouches under existing tobacco control laws.
Seizures highlight market activity: Authorities have confiscated more than 3,700 nicotine pouches since late 2023.
Taxes and youth protections planned: The proposal would introduce product standards, taxation, customs stamp and a ban on sales to minors.
Cyprus lawmakers are getting ready to debate laws that would create the country’s first regulatory system for nicotine pouches, as authorities keep seizing illegal products entering the market.
The proposal, introduced by Democratic Party (DIKO) MP Chrysis Pantelidis, is expected to be discussed at the House of Representatives plenary session in early April, following initial deliberations by the House Health Committee.
Pantelidis stated that the draft law aims to address the increasing presence of nicotine pouches by integrating them into Cyprus’s existing tobacco control laws, which would establish regulations for their composition, marketing, and sale.
“This bill aims to create a control mechanism by the state, both for the protection of public health and for the fight against smuggling,” Pantelidis said following committee discussions.
Under current law, nicotine pouches are classified as pharmaceutical products, which means they require marketing approval from the country’s pharmaceutical authorities before they can be legally sold. No such approvals have been granted, making any products currently in circulation in Cyprus illegal.
Despite the ban, enforcement agencies say the products still enter the country through various channels. According to data released by the Cyprus Customs Department, officials confiscated 3,728 nicotine pouches between November 2023 and early March 2026.
Most seizures occurred in postal and courier shipments, totaling 1,950 pouches, while 1,533 were found in retail stores, 235 in passenger luggage, and 10 at transit points.
The data also shows that 1,435 of the seized products came from European Union countries, while 928 originated from third countries. Authorities couldn’t determine the origin of 1,365 pouches, highlighting ongoing traceability issues.
Officials say that the lack of clear regulatory oversight has made enforcement more difficult. Pantelidis argued that including nicotine pouches in existing tobacco regulations would enable regulators to set product standards, implement tax measures, and add customs identification markings, while also prohibiting sales to minors.
Several government agencies involved in the consultation process have supported the proposal. “We were pleased to see that both the health and finance ministry, as well as all the involved public and private sector bodies, support this initiative of ours,” Pantelidis said.
The legislation will also establish penalties for violations, including fines up to $2,000 and possible imprisonment of up to six months, with enforcement carried out by health inspectors, police, and other authorized officials.
He also observed that nicotine pouches are gaining popularity internationally as an alternative nicotine product. “As far as smokers are concerned, it is the product of the future,” Pantelidis said, pointing to experiences in Scandinavian countries where such products have gained widespread adoption.
“In those cases, the reduction in traditional smoking is rapid, and just as rapid is the improvement in public health,” he added.
