Last week, the federal government approved a bill proposed by Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, which bans tobacco vending machines throughout the entire hotel industry. One of the main objectives of this bill is to reduce underage access and acquisition.
Since 2006, tobacco vending machines have been required to be equipped with locks that require an 'agecoin' token to be inserted, which cannot be given to minors. However, in practice, we often see these tokens being offered to anyone," said Els Van Hoof, a federal member of the Christian Democratic Party CD&V.
The bill grants an exemption for supermarkets, but emphasizes the importance of explicit age verification during checkout, even with automated scanning, requiring store employees to conduct the verification.
With this measure, Belgium will follow in the footsteps of several European countries such as the UK, France, Finland, Norway, Hungary, and the Netherlands, which have implemented this ban starting from January 1st, 2022.
Belgium officially acknowledges the potential of electronic cigarettes in smoking cessation.
Earlier this year, Belgium took a significant step towards combating smoking as the Belgian Superior Health Council officially recognized e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking and recommended their use for smoking cessation.
The proposal was released this summer, ultimately acknowledging the relative benefits of drug use. "The Council acknowledges the benefits of vaping and its role in helping smokers quit, which is good. Smoking has been proven to be one of the most successful methods for quitting smoking. Now, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke needs to follow their lead," said Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers Alliance, a global vaping advocacy group.
Landl emphasized in a press release that the report suggests vaping is "a better alternative to smoking and can serve as an aid to quit smoking." Therefore, according to the report, "switching from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes initially is a good idea, but it is best to gradually stop consuming them afterwards." The report also included some vague recommendations on how to handle the flavors of e-cigarettes: the council suggests "freezing the current e-liquid market" and "investigating the impact of inhaling e-liquid.
Statement:
This article is a compilation of third-party information, intended for industry professionals to exchange and learn from.
This article does not represent the views of 2FIRSTS, and 2FIRSTS cannot confirm the truthfulness and accuracy of its content. The translation of this article is only intended for communication and research within the industry.
Due to limitations in translation proficiency, the compiled article may not fully reflect the original text. Therefore, please refer to the original text for accuracy.
2FIRSTS maintains complete alignment with the Chinese government regarding any domestic, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, or foreign-related expressions and positions.
Copyright of compiled information belongs to the original media and author. If there is any infringement, please contact us for removal.
Disclaimer
This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.
Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.
The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.
This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.
Copyright Notice
This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.
No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.
For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.
AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice
Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.
Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.
