The Greek government is planning to pass legislation to ban flavored alternative tobacco products, but it has encountered resistance from many sides. Some skeptics believe that a complete ban will lead 400,000 vape users to turn to the “uncontrollable” black market, and in the future, it may intensify the crackdown on minors’ access to alcohol and tobacco products.
Core highlights
1. The Greek government’s proposed legislation to ban flavored alternative tobacco products may encounter resistance from multiple parties.
2. Legally speaking, implementing a complete ban is not easy and requires the approval of the European Commission, which may take up to six months.
3. Some skeptics believe that a complete ban will lead 400,000 vape users to turn to an “uncontrollable” black market.
According to Euractiv media’s report on April 23, 2025, the Greek conservative government is preparing a bill to ban all flavored alternative tobacco products, retaining only natural tobacco and mint flavors.
Greece usually does not support imposing stricter regulations on alternative tobacco products and opposes regarding them as traditional tobacco.
However, the political reasons for taking stricter measures are increasing. This ban is part of the bill, aiming to restrict minors’ access to alcohol and tobacco products. Previously, there were incidents where teenagers fainted in nightclubs due to excessive drinking.
The draft bill will withdraw products with flavors such as chocolate, biscuits, watermelon and whisky from the market, which are particularly popular among teenagers. This will have an impact on an industry that employs approximately 10,000 people, including 2,000 professional retailers.
According to sources, the bill is currently in the “final stage of internal consultations”, but it is not clear whether the ban on condiments can survive the final text.
Legally speaking, implementing a comprehensive ban is not as easy as it requires approval from the European Commission and may take up to six months.
But in terms of practical operation, taking severe measures might be more meaningful for Greece, as the previous measures failed to achieve any effect. According to the latest European public opinion poll, more than 35% of the population still smokes.
Greek analysts believe that this bill is a step in the right direction, mainly because it has intensified the crackdown on minors’ access to alcohol and tobacco products. For instance, it will empower the authorities to close stores or clubs that sell tobacco or alcohol to minors and reclassify such acts as criminal offenses, converting administrative fines into criminal penalties.
However, some government officials (except those from the Ministry of Health) and some people in the tobacco industry questioned why a ban on flavors was included in a bill that ostensibly aimed at protecting minors.
An industry source said, “A total ban is not reasonable because it would also punish adult consumers.” They explained that in other countries, such as the UK, flavoring products are still sold on the market and are promoted as tools to help adult smokers quit traditional tobacco.
Meanwhile, the Electronic Cigarette Dealers Association warned in a letter to the government. Complete ban would lead 400,000 electronic cigarette users to turn to the “uncontrollable” black market.
Seven EU countries, including Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Hungary, have imposed bans on flavored tobacco products.
