E-ciggie tastes to be banned as part of health drive?
The middle-of-the-road Flemish Christian democrats of CD&V intend to bring forward legislation to limit the number of tastes that can be provided via electronic cigarettes. The party says this should prevent “attractive tastes” from encouraging young people towards e-ciggies.
Lawmaker Els Van Hoof says the intention can’t be to get youngsters to start vaping en masse especially now it’s becoming clear the e-cigarette isn’t as harmless as initially thought.
The Flemish Christian democrats are backing proposals for a Tobacco-free Generation. Van Hoof wants to introduce a list detailing the e-cigarette tastes that are permitted. She says in this way e-cigarettes remain an attractive alternative for adults who wish to pack in conventional cigarettes, but youngsters who never smoked won’t be enticed to such a degree.
Van Hoof is unhappy tobacco manufacturers are attempting to encourage youngsters to vape with tastes like popcorn and mango.
“Research shows attractive tastes increase the willingness among the young to try an e-cigarette. Eight out of ten youngsters try vaping because they want to try a particular taste. One in three youngsters who starts vaping has never smoked cigarettes. E-cigarettes are not entirely meeting their goal of deterring smoking!”
E-cigarettes cannot be sold to under 18s, but Van Hoof feels the measure isn’t sufficient: “They get hold of them all the same. We need to invest in discouragement. Limiting tastes is discouragement, just like we did with conventional cigarettes. The plethora of tastes is there to attract new vapers!”
Ms Van Hoof’s bill also puts e-ciggies with and without nicotine on an equal footing.
“Substances can be added to e-cigarettes without nicotine and that potentially makes them dangerous.”
“In Belgium and the US people have died after adding CBD oil that contains vitamin E acetate. The heat generated in the holder also releases tin, lead and nickel. You can’t say that’s healthy.”