News item | 03-11-2023 | 2:30 PM
In 2024, a registration obligation will be introduced for points of sale of tobacco and related products, such as vapes. To combat the major health damage caused by smoking, a ban on the sale of tobacco in supermarkets will apply from July 1, 2024. This ban will result in the disappearance of thousands of points of sale, but new points of sale will also be added. This is expected to lead to a net decrease in the number of points of sale from approximately 10,000 to 4,400. The new registration obligation, which the Council of Ministers agreed to at the proposal of State Secretary Van Ooijen of Health, Welfare and Sport, is intended to provide additional insight into the development of the number of points of sale.
More complete picture
The registration obligation for points of sale of smoking products helps the NVWA with both the monitoring and enforcement of (new) points of sale. The registration gives the supervisor a more complete picture, allowing the rules for sales to be better monitored.
Smoke-free generation
State Secretary Van Ooijen: “We are continuously taking new steps to make quitting smoking easier, but starting is more difficult. For example, there has been an online sales ban on tobacco since 2023 and sales will be banned in supermarkets from July 2024. This means that thousands of points of sale will disappear. To have more insight into the places where it can still be sold, a registration obligation is being introduced. We want to ensure that no undesirable developments take place. If that does happen, we can respond with new policy.”
Fewer and fewer points of sale
The government is gradually reducing the number of tobacco sales points, including by banning online sales and banning sales in supermarkets. This will be followed in phases by a sales ban for gas stations (in 2030) and convenience stores (in 2032). From 2032, tobacco products will only be available in specialty stores. This will apply to e-cigarettes from 2025.