Belgium bans ads

Belgium’s federal Parliament has approved a total ban on the advertising of cigarettes and other tobacco products, reports The Brussels Times.

The bill was passed with two abstentions and removes the last remaining exceptions to an earlier ban on conventional advertising, including advertising on the front of shops and on cigarette displays as well as lighted signs. Advertising in the press, on TV and on the radio was already banned, and a law to force cigarette companies to use neutral packaging has also been passed.

The ban goes into effect Jan. 1, 2021.

Parliament also approved an extension to the existing law that bans smoking in cars where minors under the age of 16 are present. The new law will now cover all minors up to the age of 18 to coincide with the law governing the sale of tobacco products.