Smoking, vaping, HTP, NRT and snus in Croatia

In Croatia, the overall smoking prevalence has been going up in recent years, with 36.6% of adults being smokers, compared to 33% in 2006. This means there are now approximately 1.3 million people smoking in the country. 37.9% of men smoke and for women the figure is 35.3%.

The most recent data show there were 9,612 annual deaths attributable to tobacco smoking (approximately 3,200 women and 6,500 men). The annual percentage of all deaths attributable to tobacco smoking was 19.7% (women: 10.9%; and men: 24%).

Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) are legal in Croatia and there are 30,800 vapers in the country, giving an adult vaping prevalence of 0.88%. 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.

Heated tobacco products can be marketed, but the situation is a bit more 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 legal to purchase it without a prescription. The NRT market in Croatia is worth €400,000.

For further information and full references, click through to the detailed datasheets above.