Home Politics Europe UK Heath Minister Announces Review of Any Evidence Supporting Snus Ban

UK Heath Minister Announces Review of Any Evidence Supporting Snus Ban

A promise by the health minister of an evidence-based snus ban review, marks a significant turning point in questioning the need for the EU wide ban.

Diane Caruana

December 30, 2021

…although snus is currently banned under the regulations, we are undertaking a review and will consider the evidence base,” said Churchill.Jo Churchill, Department of Health

Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. It is mostly popular in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, where it is legal and considered an effective harm reduction product. In fact, snus has not only led to Sweden boasting the lowest smoking rates in Europe, but more importantly, also to reporting the lowest rates of lung cancer across the continent.

Last August, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health Jo Churchill, was asked whether the UK government would consider conducting an assessment on the effectiveness of the ban on snus. “The Government will consider in due course reviewing the position on snus, and whether the introduction of this product onto the UK market would promote a proportionate approach to managing risks, one which protects the young and non-smokers, whilst giving smokers access to products which may reduce harm,” responded Churchill at the time.

Snus should be included among alternative nicotine products

David Jones, a Tory MP, has been pushing for the UK to legalise snus following Brexit. A former Welsh Secretary, Jones has represented the Clwyd West constituency in the UK’s House of Commons since 2005. Earlier this year, he organized a parliamentary debate on how the UK could reach its goal of a smoke-free society by 2030, and in article published in conjunction with the debate, Jones specified that snus should be included among alternative nicotine products included in new tobacco policy measures currently under review by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care.

“Snus has been banned by the EU, but has had a great impact on smoking levels in Sweden, where they managed an exception, so we should also legalise it now,” he wrote in an article published on Conservative Home, as quoted by Snusforumet. “We must make sure these policies are grounded in science and give the seven million smokers in the UK the best possible chance at moving away from cigarettes for good.”

Adopting an evidence-based approach

Meanwhile, during a June 10th parliamentary debate about an updated UK tobacco control plan, Churchill announced the recent developments. “My hon. Friend Adam Afriyie will be interested to hear that, although snus is currently banned under the regulations, we are undertaking a review and will consider the evidence base,” said Churchill.

The statement was hailed as a victory by tobacco harm reduction experts who have long lobbied for the ban to be removed. “The original EU snus ban is based on flawed science. It’s high time the UK abandoned the senseless ban on snus now that we are no longer beholden to anti-science Brussels bureaucrats,” said Mark Oates, head of the UK-based Snus and Nicotine Pouch Users Association, who called the snus ban review a “step in the right direction”.

Read Further: Snusforumet