Lithuania has notified the European Commission it will ban e-liquid containing flavors other than tobacco beginning July 1, 2022. The flavor prohibition would apply to both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free products.
The public is able to comment on the draft law until Oct. 11.
The law passed the Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) in June by a vote of 59 to 5 (with 12 abstaining), according to news site Archyworldys. It would amend the country’s Law on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products.
The Seimas began debating a flavor ban more than a year ago, first proposing a ban on nicotine-containing e-liquids. Legislators later modified the law to also include nicotine-free vape juice, to prevent vapers from using short fills and nicotine shots to skirt the flavor ban.
According to a 2020 EU survey, about 28 percent of Lithuanian residents smoke—well above the EU average. Lithuania is among the smallest EU member countries, with a population of under three million.
Six other European countries have passed flavor bans. In Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Ukraine, restrictions on non-tobacco flavors are already in place. Denmark’s flavor ban will take effect April 1, 2022. In the Netherlands, vaping advocates are still fighting a flavor ban, which is set to take effect July 1, 2022.
Smokers created vaping without any help from the tobacco industry or anti-smoking crusaders, and vapers have the right to keep innovating to help themselves. My goal is to provide clear, honest information about the challenges vaping faces from lawmakers, regulators, and brokers of disinformation. I recently joined the CASAA board, but my opinions aren’t necessarily CASAA’s, and vice versa. You can find me on Twitter @whycherrywhy
