"We've been warning about this for a long time. It's good that someone else sees it too. Politicians must now react more wisely than they did before"
This is according to NNA Sweden's chairman Karl-Åke Johansson, after the police in Sollentuna noticed that minors acquire their e-cigarettes in the same way as older young people acquire drugs.
The police in Sollentuna/Upplands Väsby and Sigtuna recently warned that minors buying e-cigs are doing so through the same circles that sell drugs.
"We see that the approach is the same. And it risks becoming a gateway to other, worse things, down the line." said municipal police Kristian Bengtsson in Vejpkollen.
Early warning
Karl-Åke Johansson, chairman of the user association NNA Sweden agrees with Kristian Bengtsson.
"The sale of smuggled weapons is a good reason for the dealer on the corner to cultivate a younger customer group. We at NNA Sweden have been warning politicians about this for a long time. No one thought it could happen, but now it IS happening" says Karl-Åke Johansson to Vejpkollen.
Ill-considered legislation
According to Karl-Åke Johansson this development is due to ill-considered legislation on e-cigarettes. This has become increasingly clear since the attractive disposable models appeared on the market. Restrictions and high taxes, combined with long waiting periods to sell new products, are hampering legitimate businesses and encouraging illicit sales.
"The engine of this is not just an idea of being able to sell to children, that market is far too small. But adults are also part of this market and it provides enough volume to be profitable for those involved in this." says Karl-Åke Johansson.
The most attractive products illegal
Karl-Åke Johansson believes that the black market could be significantly smaller if only legislators learned more about what the e-cigarette market actually looks like. The goal must be to increase the volume of the legal market.
"Margins are already small for businesses" says Karl-Åke Johansson. "It is difficult to compete in a market where the demand is highest for products that you are not allowed to sell, but that these products can be easily imported and sold by anyone. Disposable 6,000-flare cigs, which cost less and last longer than the legal 600-flare, are very attractive, even for older users. But they are only available on the black market, so of course that's where you buy them. " says Karl-Åke Johansson.
Calls for better legislation
The "traditional" way for minors to obtain nicotine, in the form of snus and cigarettes, therefore does not apply to e-cigs, says Karl-Åke Johansson. According to him, responsible politicians should handle the problem with care.
"The solution does not lie in tougher legislation against the legal market but should be handled with better import controls. At the same time, we should work for a more sensible price structure and simpler and faster regulations for selling new products on the white market. In this way, the basis for organized smuggling can disappear. Young people would then have to rely on adult friends who can stand up and "buy out", just like on the cigarette market. This would be much easier to tackle with legislation," says Karl-Åke Johansson.
