Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) has issued new regulations that impose stricter conditions on the e-cigarette industry. They believe that young people should overlook e-cigarettes, as in the Netherlands where flavors are banned.
Frank Vandenbroucke stated that fragrances no longer have trendy names, electronic cigarettes do not have small gadgets like lights, packaging does not have health warnings and information pamphlets in three national languages, and a list of prohibited ingredients must be completed – all according to the Royal Decree.
Dealers who do not comply with the new conditions will be denied entry into the Belgian market. Control must be based on a wide range of notification documents in which the dealers prove that they comply with all conditions.
Harmful substances
There are some differences in the way the Netherlands protects young people, as they have only eliminated all flavors except tobacco. As a result, Vandenbroucke is following the guidelines of the High Health Council, which states that the role of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid must not be compromised.
Little is known about the health effects of over 1800 substances that may be present in e-cigarette liquids. A royal ordinance allows ministers to immediately remove harmful substances that have been proven from the market.
禁止使用一次性用品。 (Translation from simplified Chinese) Disposable items are prohibited from use. (Translation to standard journalistic English)
In addition to the royal decree, the minister has initiated a European procedure to ban disposable electronic cigarettes. The spokesperson for the minister, Billy Buyse, stated that they are aware that young people are attracted to them because of their affordability. "Unfortunately, we cannot include this ban in the royal decree.
According to a spokesperson, a Royal Decree will soon be announced. It will come into effect six months after its publication in the official gazette. Retailers will receive an additional six-month transition period and be able to sell their existing inventory.
We must do everything we can to discourage people, especially young people, from starting to smoke. Therefore, we have eliminated all the temptations that make e-cigarettes attractive. The scope of e-cigarettes has also undergone enormous changes. With this royal decree, we have created additional transparency to allow for inspection and provide consumers with more clarity." summarized Vandenbroucke.
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