Snus on the loose: How Swedish chewing tobacco keeps dividing Brussels
August 03, 2023 by politico.eu
Snus on the loose: How Swedish chewing tobacco keeps dividing Brussels
Sweden is the only EU country where snus is legal. The EU outlawed all oral tobacco in 1992 because of worries that Big Tobacco was developing new products to target teenagers, but snus is so ingrained in Swedish culture that the country asked for a special exemption when it joined the bloc in 1995. It has been a thorn in Brussels' side. A decade ago, a commissioner resigned in a snus-related influence scandal, and last year Swedish tabloids sparked outrage with a report that incoming EU rules would result in a tax hike on the tobacco product.
