Dutch government plans to raise smoking age to 21

Key points:

The Dutch government is planning to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21 years old.

The new proposal will tighten restrictions on online sales and advertising of e-cigarettes.

The Dutch government will invest 3 million euros in a promotional campaign and plans to impose additional fees on tobacco companies for health promotion.

According to a report from Euroweeklynews on March 12th, the Netherlands plans to raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a major initiative to combat nicotine addiction.

The Ministry of Health's new proposal recommends raising the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and e-cigarettes. At the same time, fines for illegal sale of e-cigarettes will significantly increase, and the government will also rigorously restrict online sales and marketing strategies targeting young people.

According to statistics from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM), nearly one-quarter of teenagers aged 12 to 16 had tried e-cigarettes by 2023. Despite a ban on flavored e-cigarettes last year, they are still widely available for sale online. As a result, the Dutch government has increased regulations, including doubling fines for illegal sales and imposing stricter controls on where and how e-cigarettes can be sold. Stores will no longer be able to sell flashy e-cigarette accessories, and all e-cigarettes will be required to have plain packaging similar to traditional cigarettes.

Dutch State Secretary Vincent Karremans stated that these new regulations are part of the government's plan to achieve a smoke-free society by 2040. The Dutch government has also allocated 3 million euros for public awareness campaigns aimed at educating parents and teenagers about the dangers of e-cigarettes, with the expectation of more enforcement actions against retailers who violate the rules in the future.

A new proposal has been submitted for parliamentary discussion, with legislators set to make a final decision after considering feedback from the public and industry. The government is also considering requiring tobacco companies to pay additional fees to fund health education and prevention projects.