E-cigarette traders: Restrictions on legal products will boost black market

Estonia's ministries of social affairs and justice have drafted amendments to the Tobacco Act and the State Fees Act. The changes aim to tighten controls on e-cigarette composition and nicotine pouches, and to introduce penalties for distance selling.

One key measure is a closed list of allowed ingredients for e-cigarettes, including only 16 substances with tobacco and menthol flavors and no sweeteners. Ave Tellig, head of the Social Affairs Ministry's department, explained that previously there was no clear definition of which substances make up these flavors, allowing manufacturers to sell the same product under different flavor names in different countries.

Additionally, the bill proposes to limit nicotine content in nicotine pouches to 4 milligrams per gram of mixture. Currently, there is no limit, and legally sold pouches contain between 6 and 20 mg of nicotine. Diane Sirelpuu, a representative of the E-cigarette Traders Union, warned that such a limit would remove all currently legal products from the market, as they would become illegal, thereby fueling the black market.

Another amendment concerns distance selling of nicotine products. Although already formally banned, no penalties existed for violations. Now, both sellers and buyers face fines. Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta noted that minors are the most frequent buyers of nicotine products from abroad, particularly from China and the UK. If the amendments take effect, buyers could be fined up to 2,400 euros and sellers up to 200,000 euros. The new rules may come into force on January 1, 2028.