The fight against tobacco smoke in Serbia is taking on a new aspect. However, not as radical as in France, where disposable electronic cigarettes will soon be banned.
If everything goes as planned, the sale of electronic cigarettes and the sale of tobacco and related products (liquids for filling e-cigarettes) will soon be prohibited in Serbia to those under the age of 18.
These are foreseen in the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Tobacco, which was published at the Ministry of Finance, and the public debate on this proposal lasts until September 28 of this year.
Popular among high school students
The sale of cigarettes is prohibited to those under the age of 18, while the law still allows them to buy electronic cigarettes. However, electronic cigarettes are also harmful to health and cause nicotine addiction
At the beginning of April, the Ministry of Internal and External Trade informed the public that it will amend the Law on Consumer Protection in the part related to the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
Research conducted in Serbia shows an increase in the popularity of other tobacco and nicotine products. According to data from the European School Survey on the Use of Psychoactive Substances, among students in Serbia in 2019, almost every fifth (17,7 percent) student in the first grade of secondary schools tried electronic cigarettes at least once in their lifetime.
What does the new law provide?
The proposed law foresees an explicit ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
The amendments also foresee a ban on the sale of cigarettes and nycton bags by the piece, the sale of liquid for filling e-cigarettes with characteristic aromas such as sweets, candies, chocolate, as well as the sale of liquid for filling electronic cigarettes that have illustrations that would refer, for example, to toys and cartoon characters, action figures.
Amendments to this law have expanded the scope of the law so that it includes related products that do not contain tobacco, which include liquids for filling electronic cigarettes with and without nicotine), herbal products for smoking or heating, nicotine pouches, as well as water pipe products – hookah flavors (no nicotine).
"Given that the market for tobacco and tobacco products is continuously changing, new and alternative products are being developed that do not contain tobacco in their composition, but contain nicotine or nicotine aromas, the Ministry of Finance saw the need to precisely define these products, as well as to regulate the business operations of companies from this business", it is written in the explanation of the proposed law.
BG/New economy
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