Sejm in favor of total ban on e-cigarettes for minors. The bill passed unanimously
The Sejm Health Committee unanimously supported the government's bill banning the sale of all e-cigarettes to people under 18. The new regulations also cover nicotine-free products and impose restrictions on their online sale and advertising. The Ministry of Health wants the ban to come into effect before the summer holidays.
On Wednesday, the Sejm Health Committee unanimously supported the government's draft amendments to the so-called Tobacco Act . The main point of the amendment is a ban on the sale of all types of e-cigarettes - including nicotine-free ones - to persons under 18 years of age. This also includes refill containers and nicotine pouches .
31 MPs voted for the bill without any amendments. No one was against it, and no one abstained.
The MEPs did not submit any amendments, even though some were prepared. The reason? The changes would require resubmitting the bill to the European Commission , which would mean a delay of another three months. – “Introducing amendments would mean returning to the notification procedure,” explained Marta Golbik , chairwoman of the Health Committee .
MP Janusz Cieszyński ( PiS ) withdrew from the amendment concerning the extension of control powers to the sanitary inspection . According to the project, the ban will be controlled exclusively by the trade inspection .
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The project assumes a complete ban on the sale of:
all types of e-cigarettes ( with and without nicotine ),
spare containers ,
nicotine bags .
The ban applies not only to sales to persons under 18 years of age, but also to sales:
in schools , medical facilities , sports facilities ,
in vending machines and self-service systems,
via the Internet ( distance selling ),
and advertising them.
The amendment also assumes that nicotine-free e-cigarettes will not be allowed to be used in public places , such as schools , bus stops or restaurants – just like their nicotine counterparts.
The Ministry of Health is already working on another amendment. The new project assumes a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes and flavored nicotine sachets . As announced by Deputy Minister of Health Wojciech Konieczny , the project will go to consultations in May.
Everything indicates that the new regulations are to come into force before the summer holidays in order to better protect the health of young people from addiction and harmful substances .
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