Anti-tobacco activists contend that Philip Morris International is trying to circumvent the Dutch ban on flavored tobacco and vape products with its Levia heat sticks, reports Dutch News.
Made with cellulose rather than tobacco, Levia heat sticks are considered an herbal product and are thus not covered by the country’s tobacco legislation. The sticks retail online for €6.60 ($7.21) per pack of 20 and are sold in two flavors—“island beat,” which is menthol, and berry-flavored “electro-rouge.”
The Netherlands banned menthol in cigarettes in May 2020 and outlawed flavored vape products in early 2024.
Campaign group Rookvrije Generatie says Levia is “a trick” to keep on selling smoking products with flavor. “They might not contain tobacco, but they are packed with addictive nicotine,” spokesman Dave Krajenbrink was quoted as saying.
Legislators are reportedly considering an amendment that would extend the flavor ban to tobacco-free nicotine products.