Recent significant increases in tobacco taxes in the Netherlands, aimed at curbing smoking rates, have led to a substantial rise in Dutch smokers purchasing cheaper tobacco products abroad, according to new research by the Dutch public health agency. While the tax hikes did result in some smokers quitting or reducing consumption, the ease of cross-border shopping in a small, wealthy country is undermining the policy’s overall effectiveness.
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Doctors in the Netherlands are threatening legal action against social media platform Snapchat, holding it responsible for facilitating the illegal sale of vapes, particularly to young people. This move comes after a ban on disposable vapes with sweet flavors took effect in the Netherlands on January 1, 2024, permitting only tobacco-flavored products in an effort to discourage youth vaping.
Read moreThe Netherlands is leading the charge in calling for a unified, EU-wide approach to combat the growing problem of youth vaping. In a letter signed by twelve EU member states, Dutch State Secretary for Youth, Sports, and Prevention, Vincent Karremans (VVD), has urged the European Commission to significantly strengthen legislation governing e-cigarettes and other nicotine products across the bloc.
Read moreThe Netherlands, backed by 11 other EU nations, is calling on the European Commission to tighten regulations on e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. Ministers argue that current tobacco laws are outdated and fail to address the rise of new nicotine products, which are increasingly popular among young consumers.
Read moreThe ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vapes in the Netherlands appears to be making an impact, according to a preliminary evaluation by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The report reveals that vaping has significantly decreased among Dutch vapers, with one in five completely quitting since the ban was implemented last year.
Read moreThe Dutch government is taking decisive action to address the growing problem of youth smoking and vaping by proposing a series of stringent measures aimed at curbing nicotine addiction among young people. At the heart of the new proposal from the Ministry of Health is a plan to raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and vapes from 18 to 21.
Read moreDutch Health Minister Vincent Karremans has strongly criticized the European Commission’s decision to delay legislation related to new nicotine products, labeling it as “harmful” in a letter addressed to EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. The letter, seen by Euractiv, comes in response to the Commission’s exclusion of tobacco-related legislation from its 2025 work program.
Read moreThe District Court in The Hague has ruled that the Dutch government had the right to impose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes to protect public health. The court made this decision in a substantive procedure initiated by tobacco product manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT) and its affiliated company Nicoventures, who argued that the ban was unlawful.
The court stated that the harmfulness of e-cigarettes and the “attractiveness” of sweet flavors to young people are sufficiently established. The 2020 ban allows only certain types of tobacco flavors to be added to e-cigarettes, primarily because young people are sensitive to other flavors, particularly sweet ones. The government also saw indications that sweet-flavored e-cigarettes may eventually lead to smoking regular cigarettes, while the government aims for a “smoke-free generation” by 2040.
According to the court, the potential for e-cigarettes to encourage smoking regular cigarettes does not need to be scientifically proven for a ban to be implemented. The harmfulness of e-cigarettes and the attractiveness of sweet flavors to young people alone justify the flavor ban.
The court acknowledged that the flavor ban infringes on the free movement of goods within the EU but stated that such an infringement may be allowed to protect public health if it is “appropriate, necessary, and proportionate.” The court recognized that the state has the “political discretion to give greater weight to the interests of youth and of a future smoke-free generation in the context of public health.”
The price of a 20-cigarette pack in the Netherlands has risen to approximately €11.10, following an almost €1 increase in April due to government measures aimed at discouraging smoking. Similarly, a packet of rolling tobacco saw a €3.60 price jump to around €24. These increases reflect a significant tax component, with around €7.81 per cigarette pack now attributed to taxes, according to finance ministry figures.
Read moreThe Dutch government announced that it would ban the sale of all types of nicotine pouches in the Netherlands. The new regulations will also extend the existing rules for tobacco to include all other tobacco-free nicotine products.
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