Since 1 January, shops in the Netherlands have been banned from selling e-cigarettes that do not taste of tobacco and smoke essence. The aim was to prevent young people from trying e-cigs, but the ban seems to have other consequences.
"It's really not a good flavor, I'd rather get regular cigarettes" says a young man to the media channel NH News in a report on the new ban.
The Dutch flavor ban on e-cigarettes came into force on 1 January. Roadside shops have had a year to clear their shelves of almost 90% of e-juices. Meanwhile, in convenience stores and regular tobacco shops where e-cigarettes have become most popular. This is particularly true for disposable models, the product category that has attracted most young people to test e-cigarettes.
The newspaper NH News went to the town of Hilversumse to ask young people how they felt about the new ban.
"It doesn't matter if they are in the stores or not. Most people buy their vejps via Snapchat" a young woman tells NH News reporter.
The ban met with resistance
The Dutch flavor ban was preceded by a fierce campaign focusing on the use of e-cigarettes among young people. According to the government, there were several user organizations, but also entrepreneurs, tried in vain to persuade Dutch politicians to rethink the issue.
"We see that young people are not buying e-cigarettes on the open market. They are getting them through social media, but also rogue traders in convenience stores. And it's not us saying this, but the police. Organized criminals and dealers don't care about flavour bans or age limits.", Karl-Åke Johansson told Vejpkollen before the decision to ban flavours
Should taste like rotten wood
The flavor ban in the Netherlands differs from similar bans that have appeared in other parts of the world. Instead of banning everything except so-called tobacco flavors, the only a few flavorings be allowed. These must be neither too sweet nor "appealing" and should remind the user of some kind of tobacco. A recent study has named 16 flavorings as suitable. The vast majority impart notes of 'wet hay', 'rotting wood' and 'burnt caramel' in the e-liquid and some of them are already used in some so-called 'tobacco flavors'.
"I'd rather buy cigarettes"
The 'new' flavors do not seem to attract the young people NH Nieuws spoke to. However, the ban seems to have other consequences.
"I really don't like tobacco flavors. If the e-cig doesn't taste any different, I'd rather buy cigarettes instead" says a younger man to NH News.
Favors cigarette sales
In the current situation, smokers 20% of the population in the Netherlands. At the same time, the government has chosen to take a very tough stance on alternative nicotine products in order to take further action to reduce smoking. According to the government, vejpning can lead to young people taking up smoking. However, no such link has been proven and, according to several critics, the flavor ban will only benefit cigarette sales. This concern is confirmed by Adam Hancerwho runs a tobacco shop in Hilversumse.
"Disposable models are popular with customers. But we'll see how it goes now. Overnight, I lose 50% of the revenue on the products" he tells NH News.
He now suspects that cigarette sales are overtaking e-cig sales.
"Margins have been good for e-cigarettes, but they are likely to disappear now. I suspect cigarettes will sell better, which is a shame because the margins are worse" he tells NH News and adds that the black market for e-cigarettes will already take over completely due to the ban.
Only allows cigarettes
Just last year, the Dutch government also chose to ban all sales of nicotine pouches in the country. Snus has long been banned by EU legislation. Cigarettes, the use of which leads to the premature death of every second user, are still fully legal for sale in the country. The age limit is 18 years.
