Key Takeaways
- Lawmakers from Romania’s USR, PSD and PNL submitted a bill to ban e-cigarettes, vapes and heated tobacco devices in all enclosed public spaces.
- The sponsors are Diana Stoica and Ruxandra Cibu Deaconu of USR, Adrian Streinu Cercel of PSD, and Maria Gabriela Horga of PNL.
- The bill would redefine “smoking” to include inhaling aerosols resulting from the heating or vaporization of products containing tobacco, nicotine or other substances intended for inhalation, except for medical-use products.
- The sponsors said conventional cigarettes are already banned in enclosed spaces, but the tobacco industry found a way around the law through electronic devices that are extremely popular among adolescents.
- USR said the World Health Organization and European research have warned that second-hand aerosol from e-cigarettes can raise PM2.5 concentrations in enclosed spaces and may pose risks to people nearby.
2Firsts, April 17, 2026
According to the report, lawmakers from Romania’s USR, PSD and PNL have submitted a bill that would ban e-cigarettes, vapes and heated tobacco devices in all enclosed public spaces.
The bill would bring e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products into the indoor smoking ban
According to a USR statement, conventional cigarettes are currently banned in enclosed spaces, but the tobacco industry has found a way to bypass the law through electronic devices that are extremely popular among adolescents. The bill would therefore expand the scope of the existing smoking ban.
The proposal was jointly introduced by USR, PSD and PNL lawmakers
The sponsors are USR lawmakers Diana Stoica and Ruxandra Cibu Deaconu, PSD lawmaker Adrian Streinu Cercel, and PNL lawmaker Maria Gabriela Horga.
The bill would redefine “smoking”
The proposal seeks to redefine smoking in legal terms. Under the bill, “smoking” would also include the inhalation of aerosols resulting from the heating or vaporization of products containing tobacco, nicotine or other substances intended for inhalation, except for medical-use products.
Lawmakers said the goal is to eliminate ambiguity and confusion
Ruxandra Cibu Deaconu, a member of the Senate Health Committee, said Romania made the right decisions several years ago in protecting children and non-smokers from the harmful effects of smoking, but that the tobacco industry adapted and offered smokers new products containing nicotine or other toxic substances that are now increasingly used in places where smoking is prohibited.
She said the effects of these products are “at least as harmful,” and that it is therefore absolutely necessary to align the legislation and explicitly mention them in the definition of smoking in order to eliminate any interpretation or confusion and protect the health of people who passively and involuntarily inhale these substances.
USR said second-hand aerosol and indoor air quality are key concerns
USR also said the World Health Organization has warned that second-hand aerosols can significantly increase concentrations of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, in spaces where e-cigarettes are used, and that such exposure may pose a danger to people nearby.
Along the same lines, it said European research has indicated that short-term use of an e-cigarette in enclosed spaces deteriorates indoor air quality and is associated with mild irritative symptoms among those exposed, such as eye or airway irritation.
Lawmakers said young people must be protected from entering addiction
Diana Stoica said Romania ranks first in Europe for avoidable deaths, that nine out of 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking, and that “smoking is smoking,” regardless of the device used. She said conventional cigarettes, heated cigarettes and vapes are all harmful, and that Romanians, especially children, have for years been misled by advertising, privileges and colorful devices into believing these products are not so bad.
She said children have the right to breathe clean air in malls, restaurants and taxis and should not be forced to inhale chemicals that remain in the air for hours and enter the lungs, brain and other organs.
Medical societies said presenting e-cigarettes as a “healthy alternative” is problematic
The statement also said the Romanian Society of Pneumology and the Romanian Society of Cardiology have publicly stated that presenting e-cigarettes as a “healthy alternative” is problematic and have pointed to harmful effects “regardless of nicotine content,” mentioning acute risks for adolescents and an increase in pulmonary and cardiovascular conditions in adults.
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