E-CIGARETTES IN FINLAND

Regulation and prevalence

Hanna Ollila
Specialist, M.Soc.Sci, PhD student
Alcohol, Drugs and Addictions Unit
National Institute for Health and Welfare
E-cigarettes in the Finnish tobacco
control legislation and regulation
The tobacco endgame – Finnish approach
Tobacco Act 549/2016
Chapter 1 General provisions
Section 1 Objective of the Act
1) The objective of this Act is to end the use
of tobacco products and other nicotine-
containing products* that are toxic to
humans and cause addiction.
2) To achieve the objective referred to in
subsection 1, this Act lays down measures
to prevent people from taking up the use of
tobacco products and developing a nicotine
addiction, to promote the cessation of the
consumption of tobacco products and
similar products and to protect the
population from exposure to smoke from
such products.

*The TA excludes medicinal nicotine products that have

been granted a marketing authorisation.
Box (without the arrow) from: Thornley L, Edwards R, Thomson G,
Tobakslag: https://www.finlex.fi/sv/laki/alkup/2016/20160549 Waa A. Smokefree Aotearoa 2025. Evidence and feasibility review
summary report. ASPIRE2025, 2017. (page 31)
The development of the e-cigarette regulation in
Finland
 Previous:
– Advertising & marketing ban
– Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids regulated as
pharmaceutical products
 Efficacy and safety in smoking cessation required prior marketing
authorisation
→ no nicotine-containing e-cigarettes on the national market
– Non-nicotine e-cigarettes and e-liquids regulated as tobacco
substitutes or smoking devices
– Recommendations from different stakeholders, and policies from
individual companies concerning vaping in indoor premises
 Current (as of 2016)
– EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) requirements transposed
– In addition:
 Advertising & marketing ban continued
 Age limit
 Distance sales ban
 Retailer licensing
 Display ban
 Tobacco/smoke-free areas apply to “the use of electronic cigarettes
as well as the resulting smoke, vapour and particles”
 Ban on characterising flavours or aromas and additives that are
prohibited in tobacco products for nicotine and non-nicotine e-
cigarettes and e-liquids
– Tax for non-nicotine and nicotine e-liquids (0,30e/ml)*
*Lag om tobaksaccis: https://www.finlex.fi/sv/laki/ajantasa/1994/19941470
The future of Finnish e-cigarette regulation?
 A working group, appointed by the Ministry of Social Affairs
and Health, proposed new measures 31.5.2018:
– the introduction of plain product and packaging rules for products, tobacco
product packaging, nicotine-containing liquids and refill containers
– tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids and nicotine-containing tobacco
substitutes may not be sold or otherwise supplied or passed on to persons under
the age of 20 years. The same minimum age is proposed for the import and
possession of the products
– the classification system of audiovisual programmes should take into
account smoking and use of nicotine-containing products on screen to
better protect children and young people from the harmful effects of tobacco
imagery
– more smoking bans in premises where minors spend time, such as playgrounds
and beaches, and public transport stops, platforms and taxi ranks.

Press release:
http://stm.fi/en/artikkeli/-/asset_publisher/tyoryhma-tupakka-ja-nikotiinipolitiikkaa-kehittamalla-suomi-savuttomaksi
Prevalence of e-cigarette use in
Finland
Daily smoking (%) in the working age population

1960: 57 %
60% Men
Women
50%

40%

30% Goal:
Less than 5%
use tobacco
1960: 14 % or nicotine
20% 2017: 15 % products daily

10%
2017: 12 %
0%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2016 2030

Source: National Institute for Health and Welfare

 Daily use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in the 20+
population 2017/2018:
– Men 1,4 %
– Women 0,3 %

 Daily use of snus:

– Men 4,1 %
– Women 0,1 %
Daily cigarette smoking (%) among 14‒18-year-
olds 1977‒2017
100

90

80

70

60

50 Boys
Girls
40

30

20

10
7
0
1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017
Kinnunen ym. Nuorten terveystapatutkimus 2017. Nuorten tupakkatuotteiden ja päihteiden käyttö 1977–2017. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön raportteja ja muistioita 2017:28.
Helsinki 2017, Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö.
Ever-use of e-cigarettes (%) 12‒18-year-olds
2013–2017

Girls Boys
12-vuotiaat 14-vuotiaat 12-vuotiaat 14-vuotiaat
% 16-vuotiaat 18-vuotiaat % 16-vuotiaat 18-vuotiaat
100 100

90 90

80 80

70 70

60 60
52
50 50
42
40 38
40
29
30 26 30 30
28
20 21 20 18 21

13 13
10 10
3
1 3
0 1 0
2013 2015 2017 2013 2015 2017

Kinnunen ym. Nuorten terveystapatutkimus 2017. Nuorten tupakkatuotteiden ja päihteiden käyttö 1977–2017. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön raportteja ja muistioita 2017:28.
Helsinki 2017, Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö.
Current e-cigarette use (%) among
14–18-year-olds 2015–2017
% Girls % Boys
20 20

18 18

16 16

14 14

12 12 Less than
Harvemmin kuin
weekly
kerran viikossa
10 10
Viikoittain
Weekly
8 8
Daily
Päivittäin
6 6

4 4

2 2 4
2
1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0
2015 2017 2015 2017 2015 2017 2015 2017 2015 2017 2015 2017
14-vuotiaat
14-y. 16-y.
16-vuotiaat 18-y.
18-vuotiaat 14-y.
14-vuotiaat 16-y.
16-vuotiaat 18-y.
18-vuotiaat

Kinnunen ym. Nuorten terveystapatutkimus 2017. Nuorten tupakkatuotteiden ja päihteiden käyttö 1977–2017. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön raportteja ja muistioita 2017:28.
Helsinki 2017, Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö.
Current snus users (%) among
12‒18-year-olds 1981‒2017

Boys
12-vuotiaat 14-vuotiaat 16-vuotiaat 18-vuotiaat

100
90
80  Rare among
70 girls: current
60
use 2017
between 1-4%
50
40
30
23
20
12
10 4
3 3
0 2 0
1
1981 1983 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

Kinnunen ym. Nuorten terveystapatutkimus 2017. Nuorten tupakkatuotteiden ja päihteiden käyttö 1977–2015. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön raportteja ja muistioita 2017:28.
Helsinki 2017, Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö.
Interest towards e-cigarettes in Finland
Google trends – topical search e-cigarettes

UK

Finland
Acceptance of different tobacco and nicotine
products among youth 2017
% Girls % Boys
100 100

90 90

80 80

70 70 66
63 62 62
60 Accepts smoking
60 60 56 Hyväksyy ikäisillään
among same-aged
51 49 tupakoinnin
youth
50 50 Accepts the use of snus
44 44 43 Hyväksyy ikäisillään
among same-aged
nuuskaamisen
40 36 40 youth
32 33 34
Hyväksyy ikäisillään
Accepts the use of
29
30 30 sähkösavukkeen
e-cigarettes amongkäytön
23 22 same-aged youth
20 20

10 10

0 0
Secondary
Yläkoulu High
Lukio Vocational
Ammatillinen Secondary
Yläkoulu High
Lukio Vocational
Ammatillinen
school school oppilaitos
institute school school institute
oppilaitos

Kouluterveyskysely, Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. www.thl.fi/kouluterveyskysely/tulokset.

• Does e-cigarette experimentation predict later
smoking?
• Longitudinal MetLoFIN-data from 2014 (baseline)
and 2016 (follow-up) school surveys in Helsinki
metropolitan area.
• Sample: 3 474 students.
• Baseline experimentation with nicotine
e-cigarettes predicted daily smoking in follow-up
• Manuscript in preparation:
jaana.m.kinnunen(at)staff.uta.fi
Summary
 POLICY
– Finnish tobacco control policy pursues ending the use of tobacco
and nicotine products (<5 % daily use)
– Regulation of e-cigarettes has been strict, harmonized with
tobacco regulation 2016 ->
– New measures have been proposed 31.5.2018
 PREVALENCE
– Use remained marginal in the general population
– Experiments with e-cigarettes common among youth
– Youth accept the use among their peers widely
– Regular use among youth has remained low
– Experimentation with nicotine e-cigarettes poses a risk for later
smoking initiation also in Finnish data
Thank you!
hanna.ollila(at)thl.fi