New law: Snus purchase in Styria only allowed from the age of 18

New law: Snus purchase in Styria only allowed from the age of 18

In Styria, there is a significant change today: the acquisition of nicotine bags, also known as Snus, is now only permitted by people aged 18 and over. So far, young people aged 16 and over have been able to buy nicotine -containing bags in tobacco meals. This measure aims to strengthen youth protection and to minimize another risk in addiction prevention.

By September 30th, it was possible for young people to easily acquire these products. The rules have been tightened since October 1. The new law thus concludes an important gap in the Styrian Youth Protection Act. Advanced products such as Snus gain popularity, especially among young people. Socially, additional regulations are currently being discussed in order to prevent further developments.

The dangers of nicotine bags

nicotine products such as snus and vapes are becoming increasingly popular among young people. In contrast to conventional cigarettes that burn tobacco, Snus has no smoke. Instead, the nicotine is absorbed through the oral mucosa when the bags are clamped under the lips. As a result, the active ingredient gets into the bloodstream very quickly, even into the brain. According to addiction prevention, these products are referred to as "Next Generation Products" or "Reduced Risk Products", since they are often perceived as less harmful, but this can be a dangerous fallacy.

An interesting fact is that a nicotine bag is comparable to the nicotine content of three cigarettes. Nicotine bags contain between four and eleven milligrams of nicotine, some varieties even offer up to 20 milligrams. In contrast, a normal cigarette delivers around twelve milligrams of nicotine, but only about a tenth of it is effectively absorbed through smoking. These differences can lead to consumers of the nicotine bags, they consume fewer pollutants while the risk of addiction increases.

The decision to adapt the law was taken in the Styrian state parliament to take another step in addiction prevention. It is also required that the nicotine content of these products is also regulated and restrictions on advertising options. There is agreement that the density and variety of nicotine products that can also be consumed in closed rooms are a serious problem.

For more information on this topic, Read the article on www.meinbezirk.at .