As of July 1, 2022, it will be forbidden to have flavoured e-liquids, the Netherlands Ministry of Health announced last Friday. The flavour ban has been justified by claiming it will make smoking and vaping less attractive to teens – but we know the reality is that it will be the adult smokers and ex-smokers who will be most affected.
Blokhuis announced the intention to implement a ban last year, but it was delayed by six months. Vaping organisations organised protests, but the public failed to join up in sufficient numbers to convince the politicians of the error of their ways.
Despite there being no evidence supporting their position, the Dutch ministers voted in favour of a ban that they say will prevent children progressing from vaping into smoking. Flavours are popular with young people, the health ministry claimed, and acts as a gateway.
All of the evidence from the United Kingdom says completely the opposite: flavours work to help adults switch away from smoking and getting rid of them, leaving poor flavoured tobacco juices, drives ex-smokers back to cigarettes.
Dave Cross – Planet of the Vapes – 2021-05-27.
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