Poland’s Ministry of Health intends to ban the sale of nicotine pouches – a move that could deprive the state budget of nearly one billion złoty. These pouches are widely used by the U.S. military, including American troops stationed in Poland. The draft regulation (UD213) introducing the ban is scheduled to reach the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers this Thursday, November 20.
In the United States, nicotine pouches – often called “ZYNs” after the most popular brand – are used by figures such as Robert Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and have gained popularity among many Republican politicians. They are also common among American soldiers as a substitute for cigarettes. Currently, 18% of U.S. troops smoke, but at Fort Liberty – the largest U.S. military base – nearly one in four soldiers (23.8%) now chooses a nicotine pouch instead of a cigarette.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified nicotine pouches as one of the least harmful alternatives to smoking. Earlier this year, after an extensive review of scientific studies, the FDA authorized the sale of 20 flavored variants under the ZYN brand. According to the agency, these products contain far fewer harmful substances than cigarettes, meaning smokers who switch could significantly reduce their risk of cancer and other smoking-related diseases.
In Poland, controversy erupted after President Karol Nawrocki was photographed using nicotine pouches in public. Following the media uproar, Donald Tusk’s government now appears ready to impose a strict ban on a product the President himself uses. Is this a political retaliation after the ruling camp’s defeat in the presidential election?
Under draft UD213, only tobacco-flavored pouches would remain legal – though these are virtually nonexistent on the market. Nicotine pouches are designed to be entirely tobacco-free. If the ban comes into force, the state budget could lose nearly one billion złoty.
Until recently, nicotine pouches were unregulated. That changed this year. On July 5, the Ministry of Health banned sales to minors, prohibited advertising and promotion, capped nicotine content at 20 mg per pouch, required health warnings, and introduced chemical-composition oversight and health-risk assessments before market approval. Then, on August 1, the Ministry of Finance imposed an excise tax: 150 zł/kg in 2025, 200 zł/kg in 2026, and 250 zł/kg in 2027. The ministry projected nearly one billion złoty in revenue, with 974 million zł listed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment – roughly a quarter of that expected by 2027.
Yet before these rules have even had time to settle, Tusk’s government is preparing another major shift. A full ban would overturn two recently adopted laws and voluntarily forgo close to one billion złoty. In times of a widening budget gap, an old Polish saying comes to mind: “Who can forbid the rich?”