Poland’s health ministry plans to completely ban the sale of vapes, but implementation of the ban will be delayed until 2025 as it needs to comply with EU regulations and procedures. The policy has been postponed to ensure that it complies with EU directives, in particular. The definition of heated tobacco products and specific flavor agents.
The Polish Ministry of Health has announced that the ban on vapes will be delayed until 2025
According to Telepolis reported on June 17, according to a notice from the Polish Ministry of Health. The sale of vapes will be banned (the original text should refer to “disposable vapes”, the same). However, the policy will not be implemented until 2025. Currently, the relevant laws are being formulated. However, progress has been delayed due to the necessary discussions.
Polish Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna said at a press conference on Monday that he is working on a bill to ban e-cigarettes, but it will have to wait until early 2025 to come into force. The originally planned bill was implemented at the start of the summer holidays. Work on the bill increased due to the need to implement EU directives. These directives include defining heated tobacco products and prohibiting the use of specific flavor agents in new heated tobacco products.
“I hope this bill goes into effect before the summer break. But it turns out that this bill requires a notification process. We don’t know how long their process will last, so we expect the actual effect of the bill to be delayed until early next year.”
The bill has been delayed by EU rules
Currently, there are three bills on the minister’s desk, one of which is entering the negotiation stage in the implementation of the EU directive, and the other two are bills that set out the rules for sales. The minister mentioned that one of the two projects will enter the negotiation phase by the end of the week.
Leschenna warned in May that achieving a ban through legal means was a months-long legislative process that would require permission from the EU. Poland cannot impose an immediate ban, as Britain has done.
Underage smoking is banned in Polish schools
In December 2023 and January 2024, the results of a survey titled “Smoking and e-cigarette Use among School Youth” conducted by the Chiqing Branch of the Association for the Prevention of Lung Cancer showed that six out of 10 primary and secondary school students smoke or use products containing tobacco tar on a daily or occasional basis.
“The surveys we collected show that vapes have permanently replaced traditional tobacco in Polish schools. Increasingly, these are single-use vapes that contain sweet or fruity flavors. They smell good, they taste good. Seven out of 10 students who use e-cigarettes cite taste and taste as the two main reasons for the popularity of e-cigarettes.”
Although Poland has long restricted the sale of tobacco products to minors, this has not had the desired effect. The upcoming ban on e-cigarettes may improve the situation.
