According to the terms of the deal, passengers would be restricted to the purchase of 50 cartons each. The purpose of the restriction is discourage ongoing retail sales of the substance.
Both customs authorities and shipping lines have expressed opposition to a total ban on the sale of snus in Finland. By restricting sales on passenger ferries they hope to stem the tide of a total sales ban proposed by a ministerial working group. Shipping lines and customs authorities say such a total ban would lead to wide scale smuggling of snus.
Sales of Swedish snus is big business for the ferries operating between Sweden and Finland. For instance, the Eckerö shipping line has switched two of its vessels to sail under the Swedish flag in order to allow the sale of snus onboard. Sweden has an opt-out from an EU ban of snus sales.
In Finland, a proposal to totally ban sales of snus is under ministerial consideration. Minister of Social Services and Health Paula Risikko has yet to make known her views on the issue.
Snus contains a high level of nicotine and has been linked, for example, to cancer of the mouth.