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Belgium seizes 140,000 illegal disposable vapes after sales ban

Belgium has seized more than 140,000 disposable vapes since the start of 2025, following the introduction of a nationwide ban on their sale that took effect on January 1. Belgium’s Federal Public Health Service said it has seized 140,019 disposable vapes so…

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Vaping to be regulated like smoking as Spain tightens health laws in 2026

Vaping in Spain is set to face its toughest regulatory reset to date, with proposed legislation that would place vapes under the same legal framework as combustible tobacco. The changes form part of a broader package of health reforms moving through Parliament,…

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Tech startups stock free nicotine pouches as productivity perk

Tech startups are increasingly stocking offices with free nicotine pouches. The products are being framed as a workplace perk as companies chase sharper focus and stamina in an AI-driven, high-pressure environment. The Wall Street Journal reports that a growing number of startups…

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ANALYSIS: Europe’s Nicotine Rulemaking – The Path Ahead

Summary: The EU Commission has announced that it will propose changes to the EU’s laws on safer nicotine products next year, a year earlier than previously expected. There’s a good chance that the Commission will want to take a maximalist approach and…

News Science

Scary headlines, shaky science: why some vaping studies don’t add up

Some recent studies linking vaping to heart disease and cancer rely on weak or inconsistent methods. Experts say “adjusting for smoking” is often done too crudely to separate vaping risks from decades of past smoking. Reviews that combine flawed studies can give…

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Vape crackdown risks sidelining older smokers trying to quit

As the UK clamps down on youth vaping, new evidence suggests the approach could have unintended consequences for older smokers. Research shows that over-55s are the most likely to use vaping to give up cigarettes, but current proposals under the Tobacco and…

News Science

“Factually wrong”: experts destroy study used by EU Commission to justify nicotine clampdown

An academic article used by EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi to justify his assertion that safer nicotine products are as dangerous as smoking has been taken apart by a leading tobacco and nicotine expert. “In my view this is not a scientific review,…

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EU Health Commissioner doubles down on tobacco-harm stance

EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi has declared that new nicotine products such as vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches are “one hundred per cent” as harmful as traditional cigarettes. Commissioner rejects harm reduction distinction In an interview with Euractiv, Várhelyi was asked…

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Spain’s proposed vape crackdown sparks tourism industry backlash

Spain’s planned crackdown on vaping is facing pushback from regulators and hospitality groups, with warnings that a disposable vape ban could damage competition, confuse tourists and yield little public health benefit. Regulator urges alternatives to vape ban Concerns intensified after the National…

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