Uruguay Weighs Ban on Nicotine Pouches as Health Ministry Warns of Growing Use

Key Points:

• Uruguay’s Ministry of Health is considering a decree to ban nicotine pouches.
• The issue was raised at the Mercosur Tobacco Control Commission ahead of COP11.
• Health Minister says new nicotine products increase addiction risk in youth.
• Nicotine pouches already circulate through travel and online purchases.
• Authorities warn of low risk perception among young people regarding new nicotine products.

2Firsts, November 20, 2025 — According to El Observador, nicotine pouches—marketed as pleasant in the mouth, fresh-flavored, and free of the lung harm associated with smoking—have begun circulating in Uruguay. A tin of 15 pouches costs about 800 Uruguayan pesos, and although not widely available in shops, they are easily found online. As with e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches divide opinion worldwide: some frame them as an alternative to combustible cigarettes, while health authorities warn they are equally or more addictive.

Sources in the Ministry of Public Health said the government is evaluating a decree to prohibit nicotine pouches. Although the product is not officially sold in Uruguay, it is already being used by consumers who bring it from abroad or source it online, prompting authorities to consider early intervention.

Two months ago, Uruguay raised the issue at the Mercosur Intergovernmental Tobacco Control Commission, ahead of COP11 negotiations. Uruguay’s representative, Cecilia Reolón of the Tobacco Control Program, expressed concern about nicotine pouches entering the national market and told partners that such products “must be regulated or prohibited by governments.” She also highlighted the need to strengthen oversight of online tobacco sales and advertising.

After the first day of COP11 in Geneva, Health Minister Cristina Lustemberg said the tobacco industry was promoting new products “to normalize consumption,” stressing that evidence is clear that these products are “not harmless and increase addiction among children and adolescents.” She noted that Uruguay “fully restored the ban on electronic cigarettes” to prevent a surge in youth vaping. 

The ministry said the new government has reversed two decrees issued under former president Luis Lacalle Pou that relaxed packaging and heated-tobacco rules, reinforcing regulation so that heated-tobacco products and e-liquid vapes now fall under identical standards.

The American Lung Association warns of strong addiction potential, while some harm-reduction groups argue that switching to smokeless products could avoid most respiratory deaths from combustible tobacco.

CDC data show that in 2022, about 3% of U.S. adults reported using nicotine pouches, with 0.4% being frequent users; in 2024, about 2% of high-school students reported current use. Meanwhile, media outlets such as Forbes and Reuters report that tobacco companies are pressuring the Trump administration to speed up FDA authorizations.

Although Uruguay lacks specific studies on nicotine pouches, the Ministry of Health notes a low risk perception among youth regarding e-cigarettes, due in part to colorful and high-tech designs and strong social-media promotion, despite domestic advertising bans. Official data also show a plateau in tobacco-use prevalence, underscoring the need to address new nicotine-delivery trends.

Online searches for “bolsas de nicotina” yield various sellers, offering brands such as ZYN, Velo, Kadobar, Tacha, Pablo and Fre for 750 to 800 pesos.

Image Source: El Observador