Belgium Plans To Ban All Vape Taste Except For Tobacco

JAKARTA - The Belgian government plans to ban all vape flavors, except for tobacco, in order to protect the younger generation based on the recommendations of health authorities.

Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke in last month's announcement said the ban was mandatory following new recommendations from the Superior Health Council.

Vandenbroucke said the flavored e-cigarettes were deliberately designed to attract children and cover potential vaping hazards, Belega news agency reported.

The government has not announced when the ban will take effect, but Vandenbroucke said he intends to implement it "as soon as possible," Anadolu said (1/12).

The Highest Health Council recently updated its position regarding vaping regulations.

Although previously the agency was cautious in a comprehensive ban on taste, the agency now supports stricter restrictions, arguing that protecting young people is more important than the potential benefits of allowing some flavors to help smokers quit smoking.

The latest national survey shows a sharp increase in vaping among school students in Belgium, with nearly a third of having tried e-cigarettes. Weekly use among young people is now four times higher than five years ago.

This restriction plan follows a previous policy targeting teenage smokers, including a ban on the use of single-use vapes and smoking restrictions in areas that teenagers often visit.