A ban on flavors in e-juice in the US would also have consequences in Sweden. A large part of the world's e-juice is produced in the US and is also sold here.
- If flavored e-juices were to be banned, it would obviously have consequences for the supply in Sweden. "In terms of our range alone, 20 out of 56 shortfill brands are from the US and half of our brands for e-juices with nicotine. At the same time, we have as many brands from the UK, and brands can always be replaced," Niklas Sandin, who runs Esmokes - one of Sweden's larger vejpshoppar, tells Vejpkollen
Legislation in Sweden may also be affected by the events in the US and Swedish vejpers may be affected by a possible ban in different ways.
– Regardless of how and if there is a ban on flavored e-juice in the US, it will affect us in Sweden. We already have a ban in Finland on all flavors in e-juice, except tobacco flavors. But I feel that the EU is not acting on fake news (The THC scandal editor's note), and hopefully not our government either with its version of the TPD," says Niklas Sandin
The TPD - Tobacco Products Directive - is the European Union's framework for how tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) should be handled in individual Member States. For example, the TPD regulates the size of nicotine e-juice bottles (10ml), the maximum nicotine content (20 mg/ml), and the requirement that all products in the "e-cigarettes" category, including e-juice, must be registered in the EU at least six months before the start of sales. Sweden's TPD-based 'law on e-cigarettes' also includes rules on marketing, advertising and the age limit for purchase (18 years).
In the United States, there is currently only a small body of legislation, including age limits and certification and control of e-juice production. By May 2020, a more complete regulatory framework will be put in place.
The Trump administration announced that a ban on flavored e-juice could come as early as this fallbut Niklas Sundin doesn't think the laws will change any time soon.
– Trump is known to have poor impulse control, the Food and Drug Administration (which has the executive power when it comes to tobacco regulations) would not act on something so quickly. The FDA has already postponed their upcoming regulations for e-cigarettes in the US until 2020. But the lobbyists will definitely try to use this to ban flavorings, and now also Trump, who is also running the tobacco industry's errands. Surely, if he wants to, he will find out what caused these diseases, says Niklas Sandin
Josefin Jonsson, Head of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's Tobacco Prevention Unit, told SVT News that a taste ban may nevertheless be considered in Sweden if it turns out that e-cigarette use in Sweden is too high among young people.
- "If the substance that caused the damage is found in the US, Swedish authorities can ban the products containing these substances," she says.
According to the FDA, it is highly likely that substances linked to e-juices with THC (not nicotine) that caused the deaths and illnesses. However, Niklas Sandin believes that other industries and lobbying organizations have more or less been waiting for an opportunity like this to act against e-cigarettes as a phenomenon.
– A taste ban in the US would give a boost to politicians around the world with their fingers deep in the jars of pharmaceutical and tobacco companies. We can imagine that the US and the FDA have been waiting for a "scandal" like this to justify an imaginary protection against young people by cutting off the supply of e-juice and, in the long run, e-cigarettes. There are only two industries that benefit from regulating e-cigarettes into insanity," says Niklas Sandin.
Read more: Flavors in e-juice threatened by Trump - "a disaster for public health"
Stefan Mathisson
So I'm a bit worried... What do you think Stefan? Do you think there will be a lot of bans in Sweden?