Taste bans and crackdown on nicotine products? Or strategic harm reduction and continued good alternatives to cigarettes? This spring, the government will present two proposals to the Riksdag that will affect the future of e-cigarettes, e-liquid and other alternative nicotine products in Sweden.
On February 22, the government presents a new ANDTS strategy - a plan for how Sweden will address issues of alcohol, drugs, doping, tobacco and gambling over the next four years.
On March 22, a proposal to regulate nicotine pouches will be presented. The same bill includes proposals for legislation that could ban virtually all flavors in e-liquid, except so-called tobacco flavors.
"It's really time we started coordinating now. There will be many battles for Swedish vejpers and entrepreneurs this spring." says Victor Bryn-Jensen, newly elected chairman of Electronic Cigarette Industry Association, BELC.
The ANDTS strategy will be crucial
First up is the government's ANDTS strategy. As recently as this summer Parliament voted no to the government's proposals at the time. The shortcomings of the strategy were too many, said Social Committee and mainly pointed to ambiguities in drug and tobacco policy. Among other things, the government wanted to equate cigarettes with snus and treat all nicotine products in the same way, regardless of their risks.
Harm reduction can change everything
But equating snus, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes with tobacco smoking and cigarettes is wrong, according to a majority in Parliament. Instead, they asked the government to set up an inquiry to clarify the differences between products based on relative risk of harm. The upcoming strategy should simply include a harm minimization perspective, according to Parliament
"It will be interesting if the government comes to its senses here. They equated all nicotine products with cigarettes. And that's what they fell for. If they listen to the criticism, and put a harm reduction perspective into the ANDTS strategy, we have a good chance of stopping a future flavor ban" says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
Political majority for taste ban
The question of tasting ban will appear in Parliament in March. Along with a regulatory framework for nicotine pouches. And so far it is difficult to know what the proposal contains. Among the parties in the Parliament Vejpkollen's previous review that a majority would support a taste ban. But the margins are small, and if just one party changes its mind, the playing field changes completely.
The Public Health Agency has taken a position
At the same time, several of the major consultees, including the public health authority, have come out in favor of a taste ban. However, major stakeholders in the industry take the opposite view. Critics include several industry associations, business institutions, the major tobacco companies and BELC.
"We are of course opposed to a taste ban. And we hope that it will not happen. But we should not hide the fact that it could actually go through. And then the question is, how tough will it be?" says Viktor Bryn-Jensen, who also works at the vejp company Cigar.
Already taste bans in neighboring countries
He recalls that our neighboring countries Finland and Denmark have already introduced taste bans and that The Netherlands is well on its way. Finland only allows tobacco flavors, while Denmark also allows menthol in e-liquid. However, the Danish flavor ban risks violating EU laws on free tradealthough this has not been legally tested at EU level.
"We don't know what the Swedish proposal looks like yet. In the first draft, the government wanted to ban flavorings even in nicotine-free e-juices. That is, shortfills. And these are products that are not regulated under the TPD, the European Tobacco Products Directive. Will it even be possible, and are there any precedents? We will look at that for the spring debates. " says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
Calling on vejpare to get involved
During the fall and winter, BELC and several vejpshoppers have encouraged their customers to contact the Minister of Social Affairs and members of the Social Affairs Committee.
"We have asked them to ask the Social Affairs Committee how they intend to stay smoke-free if their substitute becomes less attractive. It is important that vejps raise their voices on this issue" says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
Positive to rules on nicotine pouches
In conjunction with the flavor ban, the government also wants to introduce laws governing the production, marketing and sale of nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches are also sold in some vejp shops but are currently completely unregulated. And this is where legislation is welcome, says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
"It feels like an obvious development. Today, there is not even an 18-year limit on nicotine pouches. We need good legislation, not only to protect young people from unnecessary addiction, but also to legitimize the product. Then it won't be a weird gray area anymore, where companies self-regulate a bit as they want" says Viktor Bryn-Jensen.
Hope for the best
The government is expected to release the proposal for a new ANDTS strategy within a few weeks. It is difficult to say when the proposal on taste bans and regulation of nicotine pouches will be released. How it will be shaped depends on how the debate and decisions on the ANDS strategy turn out, we believe. Victor Bryn-Jensen.
"It is probably a prerequisite that the ANDTS strategy first opens up for tighter regulation of all nicotine products. If it doesn't, and instead has an element of harm minimization, then the taste ban becomes quite illogical. So we have to hope for the best" says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
