Austria's new law to regulate nicotine pouches: protection of youth in focus

Austria's new law to regulate nicotine pouches: protection of youth in focus

In Austria, the protection of youth continues to advance from the risks of nicotine consumption. The latest laws in Styria prevent the sale of nicotine pouches to people under the age of 18, regardless of whether they contain tobacco or not. This measure reacts to the growing popularity of "snus" as an alternative to smoking.

"snus" are small nicotine bags that are consumed orally without tobacco. While some people see them as a healthier alternative to smoking, Dr. warns Karl Erik Lund before the effects on young people. Due to the availability of snus in different flavors, these could actually be tempted to actually start smoking later.

Waltraud Posch from the Vivid Addiction Prevention Office confirms this concern and points out that the addiction memory in the brain is only mature at the age of 25. In Germany, snus is only allowed with tobacco, while nicotine pouches have not yet fallen under the regulations without tobacco.

The EU also pursues ambitious goals in terms of smoking. The European Commission is aiming for a “generation of smoke -free” and aims to reduce tobacco consumption to less than five percent of the population by 2040. These measures are intended to reduce the risk of tobacco-related health problems and protect the health of EU citizens in the long term.

Source: https://www.merkur.de/verzuser/verschaerft-vunungungen-in-oesterreich-bauf-und-genuss-von-nikt-fuer-menschen-nun-Untersschen-9337683.html