Belgium’s new laws to limit the visibility of cigarettes and other nicotine products, with the hope of curbing impulse purchases, went into effect yesterday (April 1). Cigarettes and other tobacco products can no longer be displayed in shops and stores larger than 400 square meters are banned from selling such products altogether. This is the second phase of a program that included the ban of disposable e-cigarettes beginning Jan. 1.
“Our ambition is to have a smoke-free generation by 2040,” said Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. “From now on, it is illegal to have cigarettes or vapes on display, that is visible, in a store. It is not a prohibition on buying this stuff. You can buy it, but you have to ask the vendor.”
No specific guidance or material on how to handle tobacco products was provided to retailers. Each shop has had to find its own solution to the display ban, from handmade plastic curtains to sophisticated shelves that automatically light up when opened.
“It is annoying because the government hasn’t given us any supply,” said news and tobacco shop owner Jenny Van Vaerenbergh. “They should have provided the necessary equipment.”
