Top Stories from Finland
15% of the adult population are current smokers
There are approximately 697,594 current smokers in Finland
Country profile
Data sourced:
2024.
Page updated:
2025-01-07
Smoking in Finland
The overall smoking prevalence in Finland has been decreasing since 2006. 19.7% of the adult population in Finland are current smokers, down from 26% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 912,299 smokers in the country. 21% of men smoke and for women the figure is 18.3%.
The most recent data show there were 5,129 annual deaths from tobacco-smoking related diseases (approximately 1,500 women and 3,600 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 11.51% (women: 5.8%; and men: 13.9%).
Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Finland and there are 38,300 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 0.82%. There is a requirement to ensure vape packaging contains a health warning, and they can only be sold to those 18 and older. Vaping devices can be purchased without a prescription but there are legal restrictions on their use in public places.
There is no specific law on heated tobacco products and the situation is quite complicated for snus. While it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can be marketed and it is available to buy in many general shops without a prescription. The NRT market in Finland is worth €88.7 million.
For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.
4,070
Deaths
4070 people die every year due to tobacco smoking in Finland.
88.7 million €
Market size of NRT.
Estimated NRT market size is 88.7 million €.
Nicotine Vaping Devices
in Finland
Finland abides by the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) (2014). In Finland, e-cigarettes are classified as tobacco related products and are regulated by the Tobacco Act 2016 (non-nicotine single use e-cigarettes are classified as tobacco substitutes). Nicotine products (i.e. nicotine replacement therapy - NRT) used in smoking cessation have to be approved by the Finnish Medicines Agency, and these are classified as medicines; no e-cigarettes have been approved as medicines to date. The use of e-cigarettes is prohibited where smoking is prohibited, including in vehicles where minors under 15 years are present. There is a total advertising ban. Internet and cross-border sales of e-cigarettes are illegal. Only tobacco flavoured and unflavoured fluid is allowed for sale; candy or fruit flavours are prohibited. A tax on e-cigarette liquid of €0.30 per ml (€3.00 per standard bottle) was introduced on 1st January 2017, and applies to 'nicotine free' as well as nicotine-containing fluids.
Heated Tobacco Products
in Finland
Heated tobacco products are not regulated in Finland. You can't advertise HTP in Finland.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
in Finland
You can buy NRT in many general shops without a prescription.
Snus
in Finland
Used in Scandinavia for more than 200 years, snus is providing smokers in Sweden and Norway with an alternative to combustible cigarettes. Find out what it is, and why it is considered a safer nicotine product in our briefing paper.
Pouches
in Finland
Nicotine pouches are a relatively new product which can provide users of high-risk tobacco with an alternative that poses fewer risks to their health. Read more about nicotine pouches in our briefing paper
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team.
However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice.
We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product
categories can change at short notice and with little publicity.
If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region,
you should verify the information independently.
If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details
and any references and we will rectify any errors.