Tobacco control

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.

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.

The sale of tobacco and nicotine products and nicotine replacement products subject to the Medicines Act is subject to a permit. Retail sales of these products may not commence until the municipality has granted the business operator a sales permit. Tobacco products may also not be purchased wholesale until the municipality has granted the sales permit. A fee is charged for the sales permit and sales supervision.

Sales permits are processed by the environmental health supervisory authority of the municipality where the point of sale is located. In the South Häme area, this is the South Häme Environmental Health Authority. The processing time for sales permit applications is 30 days. We will send you the sales permit decision and sales permit document once the application has been processed.

Tobacco products mapplication for a business permit and changes

The retail sales permit application and changes to the permit are made in the electronic service of the Tobacco Register of the Licensing and Supervision Authority: https://tupakkarekisteri.fi/ 

The municipal supervisory authority must also be notified of the cessation of sales activities and other significant changes. Changes may affect the fees charged.

• Notifications are primarily made electronically as a change notification through the Tobacco Register. If necessary, the cessation of sales activities can also be notified by email to ytos@riihimaki.fi

Changes to be reported include, for example:

• changes in the number or location of points of sale
• changes to the name or contact information of the point of sale
• expanding sales into new product groups (nicotine liquids or nicotine pouches)

Granting a marketing authorisation

A sales permit is granted when the conditions required by the Tobacco Act are met, a self-monitoring plan for the sale of tobacco products is attached to the application, and the placement of tobacco products and smoking equipment at the point of sale meets the requirements of the Tobacco Act.

The sales permit must be displayed to customers at every point of sale for tobacco products.

A sales ban notice must be displayed at the tobacco sales point, as the sale of tobacco products and smoking equipment to persons under the age of 18 is prohibited.

Ban on the sale of snus

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.

Identification codes to prevent illegal trade

One of the objectives of the Tobacco Products Directive is to tackle the illicit trade in tobacco products by introducing traceability and security feature systems for tobacco products. In addition to the retail licence, the holder of a retail licence must have the identification codes required by the traceability system so that the wholesaler can sell tobacco products to the licence holder. Tobacco products cannot be purchased wholesale without the operator and establishment identification code. Obtaining the identification codes is free of charge.

More information:

• Prevention of illegal trade from the website of the Licensing and Supervision Agency: https://lvv.fi/tupakka/laittoman-kaupan-ehkaisy
• Information on how to apply for identification codes from the website of the competent identification issuer: https://idissuer.fi/

Marketing authorization for nicotine replacement products that comply with the Medicines Act

Nicotine replacement products in accordance with the Medicines Act (395/1987) may be sold under supervision to persons over 18 years of age based on a permit issued by the municipality. Sales permits for nicotine products are processed by the environmental health supervision authority of the municipality where the point of sale is located. There is a fee for issuing the permit and supervising sales. The sales permit application must be submitted well in advance of the start of operations.

The processing time for a marketing authorization application for nicotine products in accordance with the Medicines Act is 30 days.

Changes to the Tobacco Act -2025 -2026

The Tobacco Act changed on 1 August 2025. With the change, nicotine pouches and other smokeless nicotine products also fall under the scope of the Tobacco Act. The Tobacco Act regulates their sale, marketing, import and use.

The use of smokeless nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, is prohibited in the indoor and outdoor areas of daycare centers, pre-school and primary education, vocational education and upper secondary education. It is also prohibited in playgrounds. Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to possess smokeless nicotine products.

During 2026 Additional restrictions on smokeless nicotine products have come into force, which concern, among other things, product characteristics and packaging labeling.

The distance selling and distance purchasing of smokeless nicotine products are prohibited. Products may not be ordered from abroad to Finland via online stores.

Up-to-date information on tobacco legislation can be found on the website of the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV).