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Tag: flavor ban

  • Minnesota AG Sues Local Company for Selling Flavored Vapes

    Minnesota AG Sues Local Company for Selling Flavored Vapes

    Minnesota AG Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against local e-cigarette manufacturer Maduro Distributors, alleging the company sold banned flavored vape products under its The Loon brand that were marketed in ways appealing to youth. The complaint, filed in Ramsey County District Court, accuses the Fridley-based company of selling products with flavors including cotton candy and blue razz slushy, using “kid-friendly characters” in promotions, and falsely representing some products as FDA-approved.

    The Loon sells disposable and refillable vapes as well as nicotine pouches and previously received an FDA warning letter for marketing unauthorized products, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. Maduro said it had changed flavor names before Minnesota’s 2024 ban took effect and removed the FDA approval claim from a third-party website, arguing it had cooperated with state officials.

  • Oregon Court Clears Path for Flavored Tobacco Ban

    Oregon Court Clears Path for Flavored Tobacco Ban

    The Oregon Supreme Court declined to review a lower court ruling upholding Multnomah County’s ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products, effectively clearing the final legal hurdle for the ordinance to take effect after nearly four years of litigation. The decision follows a similar ruling involving Washington County, meaning flavored tobacco restrictions will soon cover roughly one-third of Oregon’s population.

    For the tobacco and vaping industry, the ruling marks a significant legal setback after challenges brought by the 21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon and vape retailers failed to overturn the measure. Industry representatives argued the ban will drive consumers to the illicit market rather than reduce youth access, while supporters contend flavored products are a key driver of youth tobacco initiation and view the court’s decision as a major victory for public health policy.

  • Argentina Lifts Alternative Product Ban, Imposes New Regs

    Argentina Lifts Alternative Product Ban, Imposes New Regs

    Argentina introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for nicotine products under Resolution 549/2026, establishing legal pathways for vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches while imposing strict requirements on registration, traceability, and product standards. The new rules replace a previously prohibitive regime and aim to bring a largely informal market under formal oversight, with mandatory ingredient disclosure, limits on nicotine content, and enforcement mechanisms targeting unregistered products.

    The framework also includes a ban on vape flavorings and is intended to strengthen inspection and taxation while addressing youth use and unregulated sales. Officials said the move seeks to formalize a market currently dominated by illicit trade, improve regulatory control, and integrate nicotine products into the legal and tax system, while maintaining public health safeguards.

  • Dutch Flavor Ban Backfires: Report  

    Dutch Flavor Ban Backfires: Report  

    A report by advocacy group Prohibition Does Not Work (PDNW) claims the Netherlands’ 2024 ban on flavored vaping “backfired,” with over half of consumers reportedly shifting to illicit or cross-border sources. The report states that youth vaping rates increased from 3.7% in 2023 to 7.6% in 2024, while adult vaping declined from 3.86% to 2.3% by 2026. It also cites data indicating that 27% of users purchased products abroad, 31% used illicit online sellers, and 33% continued to access products through local retail channels despite the ban.

    According to the report, cigarette consumption rose by approximately 1% in 2024, equivalent to around 60 million additional cigarettes, while 27% of former vapers reported increased smoking or initiation after the policy change. The findings also note that 42% of inspected retailers were non-compliant and that most consumers reported ease of access to flavored products. PDNW said the data reflects a shift toward unregulated channels following the restriction, with implications for enforcement and market oversight.

  • Belgium to Ban Flavored Vapes from 2028

    Belgium to Ban Flavored Vapes from 2028

    Belgium announced it will ban flavored e-cigarettes starting September 1, 2028, allowing only tobacco and neutral flavors under a measure approved by the federal government on April 30. The policy, proposed by Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, is aimed at reducing youth vaping by removing flavors, which officials say increase product appeal among teenagers. Government data cited in the decision shows more than one in three individuals aged 15 to 20 have tried e-cigarettes.

    The measure follows recommendations from the Superior Health Council and aligns with similar restrictions implemented in the Netherlands. Authorities said the delayed implementation allows time for EU procedures and for retailers to clear existing inventory. Retail groups, including Perstablo, have opposed the move, warning it could expand the illicit market and negatively impact businesses.

  • Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Hundreds of retailers across the Netherlands continue selling illegal flavored vapes and supplying minors despite repeated penalties, according to reporting by RTL Nieuws based on enforcement data from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Records show 244 businesses were fined at least twice over four years, with 72 receiving five fines and six racking up 10 or more; one seller was issued a 14th fine during an inspection observed by reporters and said stopping sales was “not worth it.”

    Inspectors say nearly half of vape checks ended in a fine or warning, but current penalties — ranging from €1,360 for a first offense to a maximum cumulative €22,500 — are failing to deter persistent violators. Administrative law professor Herman Bröring of the University of Groningen told RTL the system is “not working well enough,” while NVWA officials acknowledged sellers are increasingly hiding stock to evade checks as the agency adapts its inspection tactics.

  • Philippines Cracking Down on Flavored Vape Products

    Philippines Cracking Down on Flavored Vape Products

    Philippine regulators have intensified enforcement against illegal vape products, with the Department of Trade and Industry stating that flavored products appealing to minors — such as those with dessert or cartoon-themed descriptors — have failed the government’s licensing process and are therefore considered smuggled. Under Republic Act 11900, only plain tobacco and menthol flavors are permitted, alongside strict rules on marketing and youth access. Authorities reported a sharp rise in seizures of illicit vape products, reaching P519 million ($8.8 million) in 2024, highlighting the scale of non-compliance in the market.

    Enforcement efforts have expanded to include coordinated raids, online monitoring, and legal action against major digital platforms such as Meta, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok for allegedly enabling the promotion of unlicensed products. Regulators warn that continued non-cooperation could result in stricter penalties, including potential shutdowns, as the government pushes to tighten compliance through licensing requirements for vape sales and advertising.

  • PMI Director: Ukraine’s Flavor Ban ‘Largely Ineffective’

    PMI Director: Ukraine’s Flavor Ban ‘Largely Ineffective’

    The ban on flavoring and aromatic additives in electronic cigarettes in Ukraine, introduced by the Verkhovna Rada in July 2024, has proven largely ineffective due to a lack of enforcement, according to Mykhailo Polyakov, Deputy General Director for Corporate Relations at Philip Morris Ukraine. Speaking at the “Dialogues with NV” event on European integration, Polyakov said illegal vape shops remain widespread, with nine out of 10 shopping centers in Kyiv hosting such outlets. Despite the law formally prohibiting flavored e-cigarettes, no regulatory or law enforcement bodies are actively ensuring compliance, rendering the ban largely symbolic.

    Polyakov also highlighted broader issues in the tobacco sector, pointing out that while parliament has adopted legislative measures intended to curb the illegal market — such as tax posts, video surveillance, minimum price regulations, and production tracking — these measures are often circumvented. Illegal operations exploit gaps in monitoring, opening workshops outside regulated areas, and mislabeling products to avoid taxes or minimum price rules. He expressed hope that international partners, including the IMF, will help strengthen enforcement and ensure that legitimate companies can operate fairly while illegal operators are held accountable.

  • De Facto Flavor Ban Threatens German Harm Reduction

    De Facto Flavor Ban Threatens German Harm Reduction

    Germany is advancing a draft regulation to ban menthol and other vape flavors containing synthetic cooling agents, with implementation possible in 2026 under the Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food, according to Filter magazine. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says cooling agents may make vaping easier to inhale and potentially increase nicotine intake, particularly among youth, though it acknowledges that coolants are “poorly researched,” with “very limited” data to back these claims.

    Critics, including the Bundesverband Rauchfreie Alternative, argue the measure amounts to a de facto flavor ban because cooling agents are widely used in e-liquids. They warn it could undermine harm-reduction efforts in Germany, where smoking rates remain high despite a 2020 menthol cigarette ban aligned with European Union rules.

    Opponents say restricting flavored vapes risks pushing consumers back to combustible cigarettes or into illicit markets. Heino Stover, professor of social science addiction research at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, told Filter that the “scientific evidence is not there” to warrant such a sweeping ban. “A ban on flavors will not help decrease the high smoking prevalence,” he said. Germany’s aim of reducing its smoking rate to 5% or below by 2040 already seemed ‘unrealistic’ before the proposed ban; it now looks even more unrealistic.”

    The draft remains under review.

  • Stores in Stores Finds Loophole in NZ Vape Regs

    Stores in Stores Finds Loophole in NZ Vape Regs

    Many general retailers in New Zealand have found a loophole to flavored vape restrictions by setting up stores within stores, research from Massey University has found. Regulations permit only specialist vape retailers to sell the full range of vape flavors if vaping products make up at least 70% of their sales, while general retailers are limited to mint, menthol, and tobacco flavors. The study found that 44% of 160 specialist vape outlets surveyed operated within larger stores, such as dairies and gas stations.

    Casey Costello said specialist retailers are not allowed to display products outside their stores or allow under-18s to enter, adding that enforcement activity has increased and youth vaping rates are reportedly declining. Meanwhile, the Vaping Industry Association of New Zealand (VIANZ) acknowledged the store-within-a-store model as an unintended loophole and expressed support for closing it, stating specialist vape retailers should operate as standalone premises with strict age-verification and compliance standards while preserving adult access to regulated smoke-free alternatives.