Germany E-cigarette Association Calls for Stronger Youth Protection

According to reports, Oliver Poland, the executive director of the German e-cigarette trade association (VdeH), emphasized the need for increased efforts from national, local governments, and communities in protecting minors, particularly in enforcing relevant protective policies, on September 20, International Children's Day. He pointed out that the issue lies not in a lack of laws but in the lax regulation and enforcement against illegal activities. It is our responsibility to better safeguard children and teenagers.

Poland emphasizes the relevant legal provisions that explicitly state that children and adolescents under the age of 18 are prohibited from smoking in public places, as well as from providing, supplying, or selling tobacco products or their packaging to them, even through internet or mail-order methods. These tobacco products include cigarettes, nicotine-free and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, cigarillos, tobacco, and snuff.

The purpose of the Minor Protection Law is to ensure that minors are not exposed to specific potential dangers. Therefore, these regulations mainly apply to businesses, but also to organizers. Individuals who violate these provisions may be considered illegal and face fines of up to €50,000.

However, Polande pointed out that in many cities and communities, the regulation and enforcement of similar convenience stores are not sufficient. For example, some places have shown a relatively lenient attitude towards the sale of so-called disposable e-cigarette products, which are sold through convenience stores and night convenience stores. While there is strict enforcement against the illegal sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, the penalties for violations of these products are lower. Therefore, Polande urges that different violations should not be treated differently in different regions, especially the sale of e-cigarettes to minors should be subject to severe and heavy penalties similar to the illegal sale of alcohol.

He also stated that lawmakers have not been strict enough in protecting minors, even though they have correctly banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, they have failed to effectively enforce the relevant bans. VdeH member companies have been actively promoting strict enforcement and are calling on the community to adopt similar mystery shopping regulatory actions to ensure compliance with regulations. Such regular actions have significantly reduced violations of laws protecting minors in neighboring Austria.