Belgium's Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit), has introduced stricter regulations on the e-cigarette industry to discourage young people from using these products. The new measures, outlined in a Royal Decree (KB), focus on reducing the appeal of e-cigarettes rather than banning flavors outright, as seen in the Netherlands.
The KB prohibits the use of trendy names for e-cigarette flavors, bans gadgets such as lights on electronic cigarettes, mandates health warnings and package inserts in Belgium's three official languages, and establishes a list of prohibited ingredients that can be expanded as needed. Distributors who fail to comply with these new conditions will be denied access to the Belgian market, with compliance monitored through extensive notification files demonstrating adherence to all requirements.
Belgium Follows High Health Council's Advice, Preserves E-Cigarettes as Smoking Cessation Aid
Unlike the Netherlands, which has banned all flavors except tobacco to protect youth, Vandenbroucke has followed the advice of the High Health Council, which argues that the role of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid should not be compromised.
Little is known about the health effects of the more than 1,800 substances that can be found in e-cigarette liquids. The KB grants the Minister the authority to immediately remove any substances found to be harmful from the market.
Disposable E-Cigarettes Face Ban, Separate from Royal Decree
In addition to the KB, the Minister has initiated a European procedure to ban disposable e-cigarettes. "We know that young people are turning to them en masse because they are cheaper," said Billy Buyse, the Minister's spokesperson. "Unfortunately, we cannot include that ban in the KB."
The KB will be published soon and will take effect six months after its announcement in the Belgian Official Gazette. Retailers will have an additional six months as a transition period and to sell off their stock.
"We must do everything we can to discourage people from starting to smoke, especially young people. We are therefore removing all temptations that make e-cigarettes attractive. The range of e-cigarettes has also evolved enormously. With this KB, we create extra transparency for control and more clarity for the consumer," Vandenbroucke concludes.
