Contact
Contact information
Laine Johanna
Environmental Health Inspector, Health Protection
Energy sector, environmental health
Riihimäki office. Supervision according to the Health Protection Act
Tobacco control
In accordance with the Tobacco Act, Etelä-Hämeen Environmental Health supervises the sale of tobacco products, smoking equipment, tobacco substitutes and tobacco imitations, compliance with smoking bans and restrictions, and the sale of nicotine products in accordance with the Medicines Act.
Tobacco smoke contains toxic substances and smoking is addictive. The purpose of supervision is to prevent the initiation of smoking, to promote cessation and to protect the population from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. In particular, the goal is to protect children and young people from the harm of environmental tobacco smoke, and to prevent minors from acquiring tobacco.
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If you notice a repeated violation of the smoking ban, first contact the owner of the space or outdoor area or the organizer of the public event or his representative, e.g. an orderly. If your contact does not lead to an end to smoking in the no-smoking area, you can contact the health protection authority, occupational safety authority or the police during office hours and the police outside office hours.
The owner of the space or outdoor area or the organizer of the public event is responsible for compliance with the provisions of the Tobacco Act regarding the smoking ban. They must intervene in the violation of the tobacco law in an indoor or outdoor area without delay.
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The tobacco seller is responsible for not selling tobacco products or smoking equipment to people under the age of 18. If you notice that tobacco products or smoking equipment are being sold at the point of sale to people under the age of 18, contact the health protection authority or the police.
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The sale of tobacco products and nicotine liquids is subject to a permit. The sales permit is processed by the health protection authority of the municipality where the sales place is located. The sales permit is subject to a fee. The retail sale of tobacco products may not start until the municipality has granted the trader a sales permit. Tobacco products cannot be bought wholesale before the municipality has granted a sales permit.
A retail license is approved if the conditions required by the Tobacco Act are met and the application is accompanied by a self-monitoring plan for the sale of tobacco products and the placement of tobacco products and smoking equipment at the point of sale meets the requirements of the Tobacco Act.
The sales license must be kept visible to customers at every point of sale of the tobacco product. Changes in the number and location of sales points, as well as information on the holder of the sales license and the point of sale, must be reported to the health protection authority, who will update the information in the retail sales license register of tobacco products maintained by Valvira.
The sale of tobacco products and smoking equipment is prohibited to persons under the age of 18. The sales prohibition notice must be displayed at the tobacco point of sale.
The sale of snuff in Finland is prohibited. Chewing tobacco, snuff and tobacco intended for use in the mouth may not be sold or otherwise given away or passed on.
Putting nicotine liquids on sale
The holder of a retail sales license, whose license was granted before 15.8.2016 August XNUMX (under the old Tobacco Act), may also sell nicotine liquids at the same point of sale, after making a written notification about the matter and submitting an updated self-monitoring plan and a report on the number and location of points of sale. A fee according to the tax is charged for the processing of notifications. The sale of nicotine liquids affects the size of the annual monitoring fee.
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The amendment to the Tobacco Act means that the sale of smokeless nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, will require a permit. In addition, the nicotine content of the products will be limited and only tobacco, menthol and mint flavours will be permitted in the products.
A new retail license application or change notification regarding the expansion of the product range to smokeless nicotine products must be submitted to the municipality within three months of the law coming into force via the Tobacco Register's electronic services at https://tupakkarekisteri.fi/A permit application or change notification for expanding the product range to include the sale of smokeless nicotine products can be submitted until 31.10.2025 October XNUMX without interruption to sales operations.
The new law also expands smoking bans to include smokeless nicotine products. Smokeless tobacco products or smokeless nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, may not be used indoors or outdoors in daycare centers or educational institutions providing pre-school, primary, vocational or upper secondary education, or on playgrounds.