Finnish Tobacco Act

The law on tobacco smoking has been supplemented several times during its existence.

• 1995: the minimum age for tobacco buyers is increased to 18 years, a ban on smoking in the workplace is enacted.
  
• 2006: smoking is restricted in restaurants and public places, the sale or otherwise transfer of tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age is strictly prohibited.
  
• 2010 (October): outlawing tobacco products for people under 18 years of age (but not punishable), banning the purchase of tobacco products through the Internet, smoking in kindergartens, educational institutions and surrounding territories, smoking is declared undesirable in housing estates and on crowded street venues. ^[2]
  
• 2012: cigarettes and tobacco products were removed from the shelves of Finnish shops and kiosks and replaced with digital displays, ^[3] which led to minor interruptions in customer service of stores. ^[4] . The possibility of applying the law to limit smoking on the balconies of residential buildings ^{[5] [6] is being considered} .
  
• 2013 (June): the order of the management of the railway company VR Group to ban smoking on all long-distance trains (previously smoking was forbidden on local trains, as well as on intercity trains IC2 and the international train Allegro ) comes into force. ^{[7] [8]}
  
• 2016: import of tobacco products into the country by citizens of Finland is possible only after a minimum of 24-hour stay in the country of visit ^[9] .

In 2013, Finland was one of the initiators of the discussion by the European Union countries on the ban on the production of cigarettes with flavors as attracting youth (cigarette manufacturers - Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria opposed the directive) ^[10] . Finland also planned to limit the import of tobacco products from Russia into the country ^[11] . According to a study conducted by the THL Health and Wellness Department, in 2013 the proportion of male smokers fell for the first time to a record 19% (as far back as the early 1960s, 60% of Finnish men smoked). Among women smokes 13% ^[12] .

At the end of 2014, Finland did not have Valvira recommendations regarding electronic cigarettes , and therefore the age limit on the sale of tobacco products does not apply to this product ^[13] .

In the fall of 2016, it is planned to discuss amendments to the bill, involving taxation of liquid for refueling electronic cigarettes ^[14] .

• The text of the law on smoking (Fin.)