This comes after the Luxembourg's National Student Conference (CNEL) sounded the alarm over the growing popularity of snus – small, white nicotine pouches placed under the lip – warning that students are not fully aware of the addiction risks they pose.

On Thursday, the Chamber of Deputies approved a legal framework setting minimum rules for alternative nicotine products such as nicotine pouches, transposing them into national law and revising the anti-tobacco statute for the first time since 2017. The measure passed with 49 votes in favour, 5 against and 6 abstentions.

Luxembourg stopped short of an outright ban on the pouches but the text sets a maximum nicotine content of 0.045mg per pouch. Françoise Kemp of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) said the law sends a clear signal to young people. The Greens (déi Gréng) and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) were less satisfied. Former LSAP health minister Mars Di Bartolomeo accused the CSV–DP coalition of giving in to the demands of the tobacco lobby.

The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) and the Pirates argued that a quasi-ban would be ineffective because consumers would turn to black-market purchases.

The Left supported the law, saying a total ban would not work.

Health Minister Martine Deprez said the government will prioritise protecting minors, strengthen prevention measures and continue to track developments at EU level.