EURO-VER- reacting

AN UPDATED COUNTRY-TO-COUNTRY GUIDE ON THE CURRENT BANS AND RESTRICTIONS ACROSS EUROPE.

Recent vaping bans being passed in countries all over the world might have a few people worried about potential changes to vape laws across the European Union and the UK.

At current, the rules in Europe remain flexible, however with potential vaping bans proposed by The European Commission (EC) coming into effect later in the year, tensions are high.

While the directive came into force in November 2022 in a bid to curb a ten percent rise in sales among flavoured products, EU member states have until July of 2023 to incorporate the restrictions into national legislation.

The ban itself will be applicable from October of this year, and with harsher restrictions being implemented across the continent, here is a run-through of current laws on a country-to-country basis.

Turkey:

Turkey was one of the first countries to ban the importation of e-cigarettes due to a general lack of information about safety back in the early months of 2020.

As such, there are still no devices or refills licensed for sale in the bordering peninsula, but it remains legal to vape if the device is brought into the country for personal use.

Bulgaria:

The Southern European country of Bulgaria have always taken a relatively liberal approach to vaping, with very few restrictions regarding vaping indoors and buying products for domestic use.

However, cross-border selling is still banned, as well as the sale of vaping devices in schools, hospitals and dormitories being prohibited or highly restricted in most areas.

Norway:

Although vaping is technically legal in the sovereign nation of Norway, nicotine content is not, leaving the only e-liquids available those with 0mg unless imported for private and personal medical use.

Vapes are subject to the same restrictions as cigarettes in Norway, meaning it is difficult to use vaping as a replacement or cessation tool in any areas where tobacco is banned.

Germany:

There are currently minimal restrictions regarding vaping in Germany, with only the State of Hessen having a specific vaping and smoking ban implemented everywhere.

However, following a call for a ban across Europe, the German Bundesrat is now urging the federal government to consider a ban on disposables across all of Germany.

Portugal:

Portugal is one of many European countries that have instigated a ban on vaping in public places, with signs littered across the country to remind

Belgium:

Vaping products in Belgium are currently considered medicinal products, unlike most other countries that put vapes in the same category as cigarettes and other tobacco-related products.

However, vapes will no longer be exclusively sold by pharmacists following a transposition of the TPD at a national level, meaning retailers will have access to medical licenses in order to sell.

Sweden:

A new legislation restricting the use and sale of all tobacco products has also recently been announced in hopes that e-cigarettes will only be available in tobacconists and airports by 2025.

Sweden is on course to reach a historic milestone of becoming the first ‘smokefree’ country in Europe, with their tobacco smoking figures on target to drop below five percent.

They have done this by combining tobacco control methods with harm minimisation strategies, with many authors crediting vaping as an essential quitting tool for smokers in a bid to save lives.

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