Estonia's Nordic neighbors are discussing nicotine content limits in Snus, powdered tobacco leaves pouches, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported last month.

Since their legalization in 2019, Estonia has not set a limit on these products.

Annemari Linno, adviser to the department of public health of the Ministry of Social Affairs, said officials are preparing draft legislation to do so.

The official said discussions in neighboring countries are being followed by the ministry as Estonia wants to keep in step with regional tobacco and nicotine issues.

She said restrictions have not been introduced before as the Riigikogu has had more urgent issues to discuss and there is little unity on the subject.

"Tobacco is a passion, and it [introducing national restrictions] is not that easy, especially as the tobacco industry is also very strongly opposed," she said.

Diane Sirelpuu, CEO of Nicorex Baltic, a seller of nicotine products, said regulation is needed but must be reasonable.

She said many Estonian nicotine product importers, including Nicorex, set their own rules.

Retailers stick to a limit of 20 milligrams of nicotine per snus pouch. This was the amount people sought on the black market before the product was legalized.

Sirelpuu said if a national limit was set lower, the black market would become more active again. It is also important to harmonize restrictions across the region, she said.

Kelli Suvi, media relations and prevention specialist of the Health Board, said the topic is important as nicotine's effect on health is directly linked to the amount consumed.

This year, the poisoning hotline received 23 calls about children under four with suspected nicotine poisoning, she said. The number of poisoning cases has risen in recent years.

For young children, every milligram of nicotine has an impact on the severity of the situation, Suvi said.

Studies show that, overall, smoking is decreasing in Estonia, but snus and nicotine product consumption are rising.

Based on a 2022 Health Development Institute study, 3.7 percent of the population consumes nicotine pads. They are more commonly used by young people and especially young men.

The data showed 22.5 percent of men aged 16 to 24 use snus more than once a month.

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