The draft amendment to Croatia's legislation on restriction of use of tobacco and related products, which will be in public consultation until Tuesday, 24 September, envisages ban on sale of nicotine pouches to minors.

During discussions held so far experts warn that classification of products has not been conducted in proportion to their harm.

A ban on the sale of nicotine pouches to minors has not been not defined by law so far, because there is no definition of a nicotine sachet as such, Beroš said last November and added that intensive work was under way on a legislative solution.

On that occasion he said that Croatia wants to “limit the use of everything that is harmful.”

When someone has an idea to bypass regulations, then they invent something new, new products that do not fall under any category. Our task is to determine how to put an end to it and find a legislative solution that will cover the issue,” Beros said in mid-November 2023.

Recently Beros said that the new legislative changes will envisage a possibility of temporary ban on new products which turn out to have adverse effects on health. The temporary suspension of sale can last 12 months in such cases, according to the draft amendment.

In late 2023, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) published a statement in which it warned about the harm of using nicotine sachets in children. It pointed out that a nicotine sachet contains 20 mg of nicotine, which is normally the dose of one pack of cigarettes. Depending on the dose of nicotine taken, exposure to nicotine can cause a number of different adverse reactions in the body. It can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, mild symptoms of intoxication include nausea and vomiting, as well as symptoms such as diarrhea, drooling and slowing of the heart rate, the statement said.

It was added that these physiological reactions can represent a health risk that can probably affect vulnerable subgroups, such as children, adolescents and non-smokers.

Heated Tobacco Products (HTP)

The European Commission introduced the Delegated Directive which became effective in November 2022 on novel tobacco products which include ‘Heated Tobacco Products,’ and which are defined as “a novel tobacco product that is heated to produce an emission containing nicotine and other chemicals, which is then inhaled by user(s) and that, depending on its characteristics, is a smokeless tobacco product or a tobacco product for smoking.”

The EC has noted that the consumption of heated tobacco products has increased in five member-states, including Croatia, by at least 10%.

The amended legislation envisages a ban on use of HTP indoors in Croatia. alongside the ban on smoking cigarettes.

Doctor Miodrag Benes from Virovitica has told Hina that it is necessary also to specify a ban on snuffs, e-cigarettes, vapes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) products, hookahs etc.