On January 21/2025, the Polish government approved a bill that would prohibit the sale of all disposable and reusable e-cigarettes, including nicotine-free varieties and nicotine pouches, to individuals under the age of 18. Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna emphasized that the proposed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Health Against the Consequences of Using Tobacco and Tobacco Products would also ban the use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes in the same manner as nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Banning the sale of tobacco products, nicotine pouches, electronic cigarettes, and spare containers to minors
- Prohibiting the sale of nicotine-free e-cigarettes in vending machines and online, as well as their advertising
- Extending existing restrictions on the use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in public places, such as educational institutions and public transport stops, to nicotine-free devices
- Requiring nicotine-free and nicotine-containing e-liquid compositions to comply with current regulations, excluding mutagenic, carcinogenic, and reproductive function-affecting substances
The proposed measures must be notified to the European Commission, a process that takes three months. Minister Leszczyna expressed hope that after this period, the Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament) would unanimously adopt the regulations. The provisions related to the sale of e-cigarettes to minors would come into force 14 days after the publication of the amended act.
The bill also allows electronic cigarettes and spare containers that do not meet the new requirements to remain on the market for no longer than six months from the date the law enters into force.
A separate bill approved by the government prohibits the introduction of flavored heated tobacco products into the market. Producers and sellers would have nine months to comply with the new regulations after they come into effect.