The Ministry of Health wants to make smoking less accessible in the Netherlands by raising the legal age to buy cigarettes and vapes from 18 to 21.
The proposal comes as nearly a quarter of Dutch children aged 12 to 16 report that they have already tried vaping — now teen smoking could be out of the question.
Much harder to buy
According to EuroWeekly, it’s not just the buying age that’s getting raised; fines for selling illegal vapes are increasing with it.
This is a serious shake-up: the government wants to crack down on regulating online sales of vapes and e-cigarettes.
That includes prohibiting the accessories and fancy packaging that make vapes more appealing, especially to young people.
Found this vape on the street when walking the dog in The Netherlands
— The Dogecoin Family (@FamilyDogecoin) April 23, 2024
Bayc vape 🤯
As being mom : This really bugs me, we need to protect children, found near kids school. How do kids even buy vapes ? SM / snap
Vaping has risks, you only have 1 body take care of it 💙
But… pic.twitter.com/V7wWhqy4w5
Gone are the days of watermelon-flavoured vapes with a novelty keychain and a disco ball attached to it. 🚫
A smoke-free future
The new age limit is part of a broader plan to make the Netherlands smoke-free by 2040.
Health experts are worried about the use of tobacco in the lowlands — nicotine is namely one of the most addictive substances out there, surpassed only by crack and heroin.
READ MORE | 7 practical questions about smoking weed in Amsterdam, answered
Most vapers end up smoking traditional cigarettes as well, getting caught up in a habit that’s hard to shake. The government wants to crack down before more habits form.
When will this happen? The proposal is now up for debate in Parliament, with public and industry feedback to consider before a final decision is made.
What do you think of the new proposal? Will it actually help reduce smoking? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Only reason they transit from vape to regular tobacco is because of the flavour ban.
I have a vape shop in Belgium. I hear people say that they don’t want to transit to cigarettes. That’s what the Dutch government is pushing them towards. Most teenagers that vape buy their vapes on the internet. (Instagram add, Snapchat and TikTok)