Tallinn, Estonia (July 24, 2026) — The We Are Innovation global network has submitted its response to the Estonian Government’s public consultation on the draft amendments to the Tobacco Act, calling on policymakers to adopt an innovation-oriented approach that can accelerate the country’s progress towards a smoke-free future.
The proposal in question introduces significant new restrictions on nicotine products, including a maximum nicotine concentration of 4 mg/g for nicotine pouches and nicotine-containing herbal heated products, replacing the current voluntary industry practice of up to 20 mg per pouch. It also intends to limit permitted flavours to tobacco and menthol only, ending Estonia’s current allowance of all flavours. The draft further strengthens enforcement by introducing penalties for both sellers and purchasers involved in prohibited distance sales, with fines for legal entities of up to €200,000. The measures are scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2028.
In its submission to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs, We Are Innovation argues that the proposed amendments rely too heavily on restrictive measures and fail to provide adult smokers with effective alternatives to combustible cigarettes.
The submission highlights several European success stories:
- Sweden has become Europe’s first smoke-free nation after implementing policies centred on the accessibility, acceptability and affordability of innovative nicotine products. The country now reports smoking rates of just 3.7% among the general population, alongside significantly lower smoking-related mortality and cancer rates.
- Czechia has achieved Europe’s fastest decline in smoking prevalence, reducing smoking from 30% to 23% in just three years through a comprehensive harm reduction strategy and taxation based on the relative risk of nicotine products.
- Greece reduced its smoking population by 14% between 2020 and 2023 after replacing prohibitionist policies with a regulatory framework that recognizes lower-risk alternatives.
By contrast, We Are Innovation also notes that Estonia has experienced a reported increase in smoking rates following the introduction of more restrictive regulations on innovative nicotine products, including limitations on vape flavours.
According to projections from the Path to Smoke-Free platform, Estonia is currently on course to achieve smoke-free status only by 2115. WAI argues that adopting a regulatory approach similar to Sweden’s could accelerate this timeline by approximately 60 years, bringing the target forward to 2055. Given that an estimated 1,346 people die annually in Estonia from smoking-related causes, such an acceleration could translate into tens of thousands of lives saved over the coming decades.
The consultation response also outlines the potential health, economic and environmental benefits of appropriately regulating nicotine pouches. Unlike cigarettes, nicotine pouches do not involve tobacco combustion and studies have found they contain substantially fewer harmful constituents than combustible tobacco products. The submission also points to their lower environmental footprint, absence of secondhand smoke exposure, and potential to reduce long-term healthcare costs by encouraging smokers to switch away from cigarettes. Moreover, it emphasizes that preventing young people from using nicotine should remain a central objective of tobacco policy, but that youth protection and adult harm reduction can work as complementary goals.
Beatriz Santos, We Are Innovation’s CCO, comments “Estonia is widely recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative countries. We hope that the same spirit of innovation will be reflected in its tobacco policy through an evidence-based approach that protects young people while helping adult smokers move away from cigarettes.”
We Are Innovation remains available to engage with Estonian authorities and provide further research and evidence to support evidence-based policymaking.
ENDS
ABOUT WE ARE INNOVATION
We Are Innovation is a dynamic network of individuals and institutions who deeply believe in innovation’s power to drive progress and solve the world’s most pressing problems. With over 50 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs based worldwide, We Are Innovation represents the diverse voices of a global civil society committed to advancing human creativity, adopting new technologies, and promoting innovative solutions. Through our collaborative approach and cutting-edge expertise, we are driving global transformative change. To learn more about our work, visit us at https://www.weareinnovation.global/.
