Methodology
Every country page on SnusAtlas is generated from a structured record with the same fields, so countries can be compared like for like. Each legal status is tied to a numbered source, and each record carries a confidence level and a verification date. Across 199 countries we currently cite 777 sources, of which 259 are primary (legislation, government, customs, regulator or court). Last verification 4 September 2026.
Two products, always separate
We record tobacco snus and tobacco-free nicotine pouches as two products with independent statuses. Most legal systems treat them differently and conflating them is the most common error in other guides. See snus vs nicotine pouches.
What each field means
| Sale | Legal: may be sold to adults through normal retail. Legal with restrictions: sale allowed but materially limited (pharmacy-only, state shops, cap that excludes most products). Banned: placing on the market is prohibited. Prescription only: available only as a medicine. Unregulated: sold openly with no product-specific rule. No specific rule found: we could not establish a status. |
| Possession and use | Whether a private adult may lawfully possess and use the product. Bans on sale rarely extend to possession; where they do, we say so. |
| Personal import | Whether a private person may bring in or mail-order the product for own use, regardless of sale status. |
| Regulated as | The legal category that determines which rules apply: tobacco product, tobacco substitute, own nicotine category, consumer product, food, medicine, poison. |
| Minimum age | Statutory minimum purchase age. Blank means no product-specific age in law. |
| Nicotine cap | Legal maximum, per pouch or per gram as written in the law. Blank means no legal cap. |
| Legal basis | The act, decree or regulation, cited so you can look it up. |
| In force since | Date the current rule took effect, where known. |
| Travel | What a traveller may bring for personal use: allowance, declaration, penalties. Taken from customs authorities where available. |
Source hierarchy
- Primary law and official bodies: legislation databases, health ministries, customs agencies, regulators (FDA, MHRA, BfR, ANVISA, TGA and others) and court judgments.
- Systematic secondary sources: WHO FCTC reports, the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction database, the Tobacco Control Laws database.
- Reputable news and trade press: used for recent changes and pending bills, and flagged as such.
- Retailer and industry pages: last resort, labelled "retailer", never the sole basis for a high-confidence record.
Each source shows whether we retrieved the page ourselves (verified) and a short quote of the supporting text. If a URL could not be retrieved at verification time we keep it but mark it unverified and lower the confidence.
Confidence levels
- High confidence (34 countries): Checked against legislation or an official government source.
- Medium confidence (66 countries): Based on consistent secondary sources; primary text not yet verified.
- Low confidence (99 countries): Single source or inferred from general tobacco law. Treat as indicative.
Verification and updates
Every record carries the date it was last checked. Countries with high search interest and recent legislative activity are re-checked most often. Readers can report changes through the contact page; every correction is recorded in the changelog.
Limitations
Law is not the same as enforcement. A product can be technically prohibited and openly sold, or technically legal and impossible to find. We describe the legal position first and note market reality separately. Sub-national rules (US states, Swiss cantons, Indian states, Australian states) are summarised, not exhaustively listed. Translations of non-English legislation are ours unless an official version exists.