A flavor ban and severe supply restrictions for e-cigarette users. This is what the Norwegian government proposes. Now users are calling on all Nordic vejp users to speak out. And they have the support of researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
The user association Norsk Dampselskap calls on vejpare in Norway and Scandinavia to protest against the Norwegian government's planned flavor ban for e-liquid.
"Our health politicians want to ban all flavors except tobacco. This means that you who prefer fruit or other flavors in your vejp will be forced to use to tobacco flavors instead" the association writes in a petition.
'Only affects older vejpare"
Norsk Dampselskap believes that the aim of the ban, to prevent minors from trying e-cigarettes, is understandable, but that the consequences for adult users cannot be justified.
"The average age of Norwegian vejpers is 47.5 years! Children and young people are not the problem here! We support the protection of children and young people, but should it really be at the expense of adults? We already have age limits for buying e-cigarettes," the association writes in its petition.
Same rules as the EU
The debate on e-cigarettes and nicotine has been going on for a long time in Norway.
E-liquids and e-cigarettes with nicotine are currently banned from sale in the country, but the government at the time promised a change in 2018. The idea was that Norway would implement the same rules as the EU countries and allow sales with the same restrictions and possibilities.
Flavor ban for e-cigs
But the decisions took longer and it soon became clear that the new nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, would be regulated differently in Norway.
Today, the government is proposing, among other things, to introduce a taste ban for nicotine liquid (but not for nicotine pouches). It also proposes to ban online sales for both white snus and e-cigarettes.
Criticism from addiction researchers
The proposal has received harsh criticism from user groups and business owners. But researchers at the country's authorities also see problems with the legislation. Snus is currently the most popular tool for those who quit smoking in Norway. Next on the list are e-cigarettes, according to a study by Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
"1 in 3 smokers said they would consider using e-cigarettes instead of cigarettes if they ever quit smoking. E-cigarettes thus have far higher likeability than both snus and nicotine replacement therapy. A flavor ban will reduce the number of smokers who can make a harm-reducing product switch" said Karl Erik Lund, nicotine and addiction researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in his criticism of the government's draft new legislation in 2022.
Sweden retained flavoring
Just last year, the Swedish Parliament voted against the Social Democratic government's proposal to ban all flavors except tobacco in e-cigarettes. Instead, Parliament decided to investigate the possibilities of introducing harm reduction in tobacco policy.
