Estonia has decided to wage war on the e-cigarette. After raising taxes on nicotine-based liquids, the Estonian government has recently notified the European Commission of its willingness to ban the use of flavors in e-cigarettes, except for the tobacco flavor. The ban would come into force on 1 January 2019 and would apply to all types of liquid, even those without nicotine.
According to Tallinn, as stated in the documents submitted to the European Commission, the aromas would be bait for children and teenagerscausing them to smoke. Not even a nod, too bad, to the millions of smokers who have abandoned cigarette smoking thanks to electronic cigarettes.
Estonian and international associations of vapers (electronic cigarette manufacturers), such as the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organization, responded by writing directly to the Estonian government accusing him of taking sides against the principle of harm reduction in open contrast with the commitments undertaken by the same country in terms of human rights.
The awareness campaign of Estonian legislators also continues on the European Commission website where the contributions of citizens and institutions on theimportance of an alternative to smoking cigarettes.
