Belgium’s ban on tobacco tar bags is poorly enforced and illegal sales continue to flourish. The store still sells a variety of flavored tobacco tar bags that merchants creatively hide and sell. The Ministry of Health said there was a lack of professional resources to effectively deal with online sales.
Belgian nicotine bag ban poorly enforced
According to the Brussels Times on November 26, despite the Belgian government banning the sale of smoke tar bags a year ago, offline sales of the product are still rampant.
In 2024, out of 1,781 shops inspected, 318 were found to be in non-compliance with the tobacco tar bag ban, and 3,273 bags were confiscated, according to government data.
Nearly 20% of businesses fail to comply
Annelies Wynant, a spokesperson for the Belgian Health Ministry, said that companies have been very creative in circumventing laws and regulations. They will hide tobacco tar bags in washing machines, chip boxes, ovens, and other hidden places. The illegal sale of tobacco tar bags is usually punishable by a fine, usually between €208 and €120,000.
An investigation by the Brussels Times found that local shops were still selling a variety of flavored cigarettes and tar bags. Winant said that in addition to illegal sales in stores, online merchants have also become a major obstacle to the implementation of the ban. She noted that they have established e-commerce services, but for now, the focus is still on online sales and advertising of e-cigarettes rather than cigarettes and tar bags. She noted that the issue of online sales should be dealt with by the police, not the ministry, as the ministry “lacks the necessary theoretical knowledge and resources to deal with the issue effectively”. The success of the ban requires a greater understanding of the industry and the sharing of information. Although the market is constantly changing,
In October 2023, Belgium banned the sale of tobacco tar bags. Frank Vandenbroek, former Secretary of Health. Frank Vandenbroucke felt that even though the tar bag did not contain cigarettes, it would be the gateway to smoking.
