A whiff of kiwi-passion fruit-guava, berries or vanilla. For years, electronic cigarettes have allowed you to smoke flavors other than tobacco. The central government is now putting an end to all this: from January 1st, flavored vaporizers will no longer be able to be sold. Tobacco flavored electronic cigarettes remain permitted.
Primera sells both rechargeable and disposable e-cigarettes. The ban on flavored vapes brings changes to the lineup. “We sell the new permitted variants. These are tobacco-flavored vaporizers and neutral e-cigarettes, which are tasteless,” explains a Primera employee to Meppel. “We noticed that you serve a different target group with these flavors.”
The branch is still regularly asked if they sell flavored vaporizers. “It’s been happening all the time, since the beginning of the month. The old range is no longer permitted and we no longer have the smoking products, the e-cigarettes were sold out before the end of the year.”
At Primera in Steenwijk, all flavored e-cigarettes were also sold out for the new year. “We no longer sell flavored vapes. People still ask for them sometimes, but we really don’t have them anymore. We are still receiving the new permitted tobacco-flavored disposable variants,” says one employee.
The number of young people smoking e-cigarettes is increasing
The government reports that the flavor ban is expected to make vaporizers less attractive to young people. Smoke-Free Generation reports that hundreds of children become addicted to smoking every week. Age is linked to sensitivity to addiction: the younger you start, the greater the risk of addiction.
Since August 2020, all schools and educational settings are legally smoke-free. This is an initiative by Smoke-Free Generation, which wants to make growing up smoke-free a fact. But how smoke-free is the new generation now that vaporizers are in demand? Based on data from GGD, CBS and RIVM, Independer concludes that the number of young e-cigarette smokers has increased enormously: in 2022 there were 10 times more vapers than in 2020. This must change with the flavor ban.
“The hamster”
It is too early to say anything about the effects of the ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, says trade association Esigbond. According to the association, users have stocked up or are finding other ways to obtain electrical smoking materials. Flavored vapes are still available across borders, illegally online or in stores that don’t adhere to the ban.
It remains to be seen whether there are also e-smokers who give the taste of tobacco a chance, according to Emil ‘t Hart, president of Esigbond. As long as vapers can still get their trusted smoke, they will, he says. “It’s a matter of waiting to see what people think about tobacco flavors and what hoarders do when their supplies run out,” says ‘t Hart. The trade association is unhappy with the ban on flavors, because it sees vaping as a less harmful alternative to tobacco. According to the association, people are also switching or returning to tobacco due to the ban.
Illegal circuit
A spokesperson for Esigbond reports that some vape shop owners have started selling tobacco. Some sellers have also opened branches in Belgium and Germany, where there is no ban. The association says that the previously introduced ban on online sales of vaporizers will also not be enforced. “We informed the NVWA about the illegal online sales, but they said they would do nothing,” the Esigbond spokesperson said.
A transition that Finn Bork, co-owner of Stonedoos Hoogeveen, had already predicted in this newspaper. “Flavored vapes end up in the criminal circuit. There is no age control. Interested parties will still be able to obtain it across borders and online. There is also the possibility that people mix flavors themselves, which can have dangerous consequences.” According to him, legalization is the best solution. “Stores will then be able to strictly enforce age. Ensure young people receive better information and verify the age of young people smoking and vaping in public spaces.”
2024-01-20 14:14:00
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