News item | 21-04-2023 | 4:00 pm
Nicotine products that do not contain tobacco will fall under the Tobacco and Smoking Products Act and the sale of all nicotine pouches will also be banned. The Council of Ministers has agreed to this on the proposal of State Secretary Van Ooijen of Health, Welfare and Sport. This means, among other things, that there will be an advertising ban for nicotine products without tobacco. In doing so, the government is implementing a motion from the House of Representatives.
State Secretary Van Ooijen: “The tobacco industry is constantly launching new tobacco products and nicotine products without tobacco, making it easier for young people to come into contact with nicotine. That’s a bad thing, because nicotine is addictive and harmful. It is therefore logical to treat products that can be used as an alternative to tobacco products under the same law. That is why I am pleased that today we have decided that these products will be treated in the same way as tobacco products. In this way we are taking a new step in creating a smoke-free generation.”
Ban on nicotine pouches
Since November 2021, it is prohibited to market nicotine pouches with more than 0.035 grams of nicotine. An extension of the ban as it currently applies will make enforcement easier for the NVWA because they do not have to demonstrate how many mg of nicotine are in a nicotine pouch. With this proposal, the smoking ban and the advertising ban will also come into force for nicotine sachets. For other nicotine products without tobacco, such as steam stones, the same rules will apply as tobacco products. This means that the advertising ban, the age limit and other sales restrictions will apply to these types of products, among other things.
Health risks
Although nicotine products without tobacco do not cause the same damage as tobacco products, these products also cause health damage. For example, exposure to nicotine has a lasting impact on brain development in young people. It leads to less concentration and more impulsiveness. In addition, nicotine is highly addictive. This ensures that these products can lower the threshold for young people to start smoking.