Report: Flavored Vape Ban in Latvia Fuels Black Market
A ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vape liquids, which took effect on January 1, 2025 in Latvia, has reportedly led to unintended negative consequences, including a surge in the illicit market and a significant state budget deficit. The law, which prohibited all vape flavors except tobacco, was intended to protect public health and limit youth access to these products.
According to a report from la.lv, industry representatives had warned lawmakers during the bill’s development that such restrictions were unnecessary, as sales to minors were already illegal, and that a ban would simply push the highly popular flavored products into an unregulated black market. State Police and Tax Service officials also reportedly complained of insufficient resources for full enforcement.
These warnings appear to have materialized. Data on excise tax revenue for the first three months of 2025 shows a deficit of over 1.5 million euros, with traders reporting a mass exodus of customers to the illicit market where products lack quality control and state oversight. The volume of the illegal market reportedly reached 42.4% of total consumption in the first four months of 2025, up from 31.4% in 2024.
Proponents of the ban, including former parliamentary commission chairman Andris Skride and then-Health Minister Ilze Viņķele, had argued that flavored liquids were a “dangerous bait” for young people. However, critics now argue that these loud declarations, made without supporting research and while ignoring industry positions, have led to the opposite of the intended result: the illicit market has flourished, making unregulated products of unknown origin and composition even more accessible to teenagers, thereby undermining public health.
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