Philip Morris International experts are concerned about its impact on youth and children’s risk and smoking habits. Have avoided a ban on cigarettes and vapes in the Netherlands by launching Levia, a new cellulosic tobacco alternative. The Dutch Product Safety Commission (NVWA) This means that Levia cannot be acted upon as it is considered an herbal product and is outside the scope of the anti-cigarette legislation. The legislative amendments may bring about changes, with cigarette tar products that do not contain cigarettes also coming under regulation.
Philip Morris International (“PMI”) avoided a ban on flavored
On August 5, the Netherlands Daily News reported that Philip Morris International (“PMI”) avoided a ban on flavored and vape brands in the Netherlands by launching a new tobacco substitute made of cellulose. The Netherlands has banned the sale of menthol cigarettes since May 2020 and flavored vape brands earlier this year.
The product, called Levia, is said to be sold in packs of 20, with nicotine-containing smoke bombs that are cellulose-based rather than cigarette-based, and therefore not covered by the ban. Each pack costs €6.60 and comes in two flavors – minty Island Electro, Beat, and fruit. -Rouge. Users insert the sticks, which look like traditional white tobacco, into a heating device similar to a vape, and the compounds are released by heating rather than burning.
Smokefree Generation (Rookvrije Generatie) According to the campaign group, Levia is just a ploy to continue selling cigarette products. Dave Krajenbrink, a spokesman for this organization, said that
- “They may not contain cigarettes, but they are full of addictive smoking tar.”
Levia & Dutch flavored tobacco ban
The Dutch Product Safety Commission (NVWA). This means that Levia cannot take action because it is considered an herbal product and is outside the scope of the anti-cigarette legislation. However, amendments to the bill could bring about changes that would see cigarette tar-free products also come under regulation.
For now, Femo International declined to respond to questions.
However, the company’s CEO, Jacek Olczak, based on remarks to investors last year that the product could avoid heavy taxation and regulation on similar products. In a report, Olczak stated.
- “Levia may not be subject to some regional flavoring regulations or apply to existing financial categories.”
Currently, youth under the age of 18 are not allowed to purchase e-cigarette devices and oils. According to Trimbos. According to the Dutch Institute for Addiction Research. The majority of Dutch young people who use vapes also smoke traditional tobacco, debunking the theory that tobacco products are mutually inhibiting. In 2023, 10 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds have used vapes, increasing to nearly one-quarter of 15- to 17-year-olds. According to Trimbos, almost a third of 12- to 25-year-olds smoke, and nearly 70 percent of vape users smoke.
