Lithuania Increases Fines for Selling Tobacco Products to Minors

The Lithuanian Seimas has passed amendments to the Tobacco Control Law, increasing fines for companies selling tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to minors or individuals prohibited from purchasing them. The law proportionally raises penalties for all offenders, with fines ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 euros for initial violations and 6,000 to 10,000 euros for repeated offenses. Additionally, retail licenses will be permanently revoked for repeat offenders.

Equal Fines for All Tobacco Products

Despite a proposal by Antanas Matulas, Chairman of the Health Committee, to impose higher fines for e-cigarette sales, the Seimas decided to maintain equal penalties for selling all tobacco products to minors. Ieva Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė, a member of the Mixed Group of MPs, believes that since minors cannot legally purchase e-cigarettes, the fines should be consistent across all tobacco products.

Illegal Online Sales and Poisoning Cases

Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė highlights the issue of minors illegally obtaining e-cigarettes through online platforms, where the substances contained in the products are unclear, leading to numerous and varied cases of poisoning. She also mentions the growing concern of drugs being distributed in e-cigarettes and candies, emphasizing the need for increased efforts to combat these foreign-originated products.

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Challenges in Control and Enforcement

Controlling the e-cigarette market proves challenging, with Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė stating that Lithuania’s licensing and sales regulations are ineffective in practice. She stresses the importance of law enforcement agencies, such as the police, customs services, and other special intelligence services, in preventing uncontrolled and suspicious products containing narcotic substances from entering Lithuania. Additional funding for these institutions is necessary to address the issue effectively.

Minors Finding Ways to Purchase Tobacco Products

Despite the increased difficulty in purchasing tobacco products, young people admit that it is still possible to obtain them. During the pandemic, when face masks were worn, it was easier to buy cigarettes without being asked for identification. Currently, minors rely on adult acquaintances to purchase cigarettes for them, often paying an additional two euros per pack. E-cigarettes remain the easiest to obtain through online platforms, which many young people utilize.

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Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.