Australia has rules governing the importation of nicotine pouches into the country. Traditional snus, tobacco-based, is illegal for importation as it falls under the scope of tobacco laws. But, the nicotine pouch variant (tobacco-free) is legal for personal importation. That being said, many people who have ordered snus through various sites have had a frustrating time navigating the customs regulations.
The TGA allows for nicotine pouches to be imported for personal use. The importation rules state that a valid prescription should be held from a registered prescriber from within Australia. The prescription for nicotine pouches should be specific to the importer. This means the prescription should be tailored to the quantity and strength a user needs for their purpose. A maximum three-month supply is allowed per importation, and the prescription will be valid for 12 months. Oftentimes, this process is completed online, taking into account the users questionnaire as guidelines for fair usage of nicotine.
There is a distinct difference between tobacco-based snus, and modern-day snus. Nicotine pouches typically deliver nicotine in a more balanced way. Since tobacco is organic, its compounds can be affected by factors such as storage and weather conditions. The TGA has chosen to allow nicotine pouches into the country, but consumers often try to import tobacco-based pouches. This is true, especially of current smokers. The assumption that tobacco-based pouches will be a smoother transition from smoking than modern-day snus, is incorrect. Outside of the familiar flavour from tobacco, nicotine pouches have a softer and more balanced nicotine hit. As such, the milligram strength is more likely to be accurate than in the tobacco-based counterpart product.
Australians have to buy snus from overseas retailers, as selling it in Australia is illegal. Still, there are several black-market products, typically from China, being sold under the shelf. Conversations with our customers highlight the lack of quality in both nicotine strength and pouch composition. Manufacturers have even cloned some brands and are being sold as authentic goods in Australia. This problem is not geographically specific, as it has been occurring across the globe. But in a country where the only way to buy snus is through personal importation, consideration should be given to the authenticity of the purchase.