The Lithuanian Parliament has passed an amendment to the Tobacco Control Act, which will increase penalties for companies selling tobacco products, including vapes, according to a report from Kurier Wilenski on November 14.
The chairman of the Health Committee, Antanas Matulas, along with members of Parliament, suggested significantly raising fines for illegal vape sales. However, several lawmakers pointed out that minors cannot legally purchase vapes, and thus, the sale of vapes should be subject to the same penalties as traditional tobacco products.
The parliamentary vote resulted in 74 votes in favor of treating the sale of tobacco products to minors with equal penalties, but the proposal for higher fines specifically targeting vapes was not passed. Sellers will now face fines ranging from €4,000 to €6,000 (up from the current maximum of €3,000), with repeat offenders facing fines between €6,000 and €10,000. Additionally, retail licenses will be permanently revoked. Companies that violate regulations on vape ingredients, quality, and labeling will face fines between €1,500 and €3,000, with repeat offenders facing penalties ranging from €4,000 to €8,000.
Member of Parliament Ieva Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė emphasized that to strengthen these measures, additional financial support for police and intelligence agencies would be necessary.
During the pandemic, young people found it easier to buy tobacco products due to the use of masks, which made age verification more difficult. However, now that ID checks are stricter, purchasing these products has become almost impossible without valid identification.
To circumvent this, many young people pay adult friends an extra €2 per pack to buy tobacco products for them. Vapes, on the other hand, are more frequently obtained through illegal online channels.
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