Rumors of flavor bans, unclear guidelines for new licenses and misinformation from municipalities and authorities. This has led many people, including entrepreneurs, to believe that e-cigarettes have become illegal.
"Many customers have come into our store in Gothenburg and said that 'it's a shame we'll have to close down' because of the new laws. That's certainly not the case," says Daniel Leis, who runs vapes.se
"From August 1, e-cigarettes are subject to a taste ban"
This message was sent to retailers by several municipalities in the spring. The aim was to inform them that the government proposed a taste ban and to warn sellers. Parliament However, voted down the proposal and flavors are still very much allowed. But there has been no updated information from the municipalities.
"Unfortunately, some traders, mainly kiosks and gas stations, are uninformed about what has happened. They are therefore going around saying that from 1 August it is illegal to sell flavored e-cigs" says Victor Bryn-Jensen, President of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Association, BELC.
Rules for nicotine pouches - but not taste bans
Although the taste ban itself was voted down, large parts of the government bill, "Tighter rules for new nicotine products", through. As of August 1 applies, for example, to 18-year age limit for nicotine pouches and obligation to notify the municipality to be allowed to sell them in shops. The new law is similar to the one already in place for e-cigarettes and e-liquid.
New permits fuel the rumor
Another factor that has added to the misconceptions is that since July 1, the Chemicals Inspectorate requires a license to sell nicotine-containing e-liquids, disposable e-cigarettes and closed pod systems. The authorization applies to liquids with the so-called "skull and crossbones" label. This means products with a nicotine volume exceeding 18 mg/ml in nicotine strength - or 1.66% by weight.
"Difficult to keep up"
Information about the permit came late in the spring and affects thousands of retailers across the country, particularly gas stations, chain stores and small convenience stores. The short deadline has meant that neither companies, nor for that matter county councils, have had time to submit applications and have them reviewed. As a result, several large retailers have temporarily stopped selling e-cigs while waiting for the county councils to issue permits for individual shops.
"The new rules on authorization from the Chemicals Inspectorate came at the same time as the discussion on the taste ban. For dedicated vejpshoppers, dealing with it was complicated, but doable. Unfortunately, many other retailers are not as familiar with all the ins and outs. This has led to rumors and many people believing that it is now illegal to sell e-cigs. This is unfortunate," says Victor Bryn-Jensen.
Chemistry inspectorate skips checks
On Monday, the Swedish Chemicals Agency announced that it will not check the permits in 2022. This is because the information about the new rules came too late in the introduction and this in turn has caused concerns for both the companies and the county administrative boards, which are charged with issuing the permits.
