The Czech Ministry of Health has moved to ban candy-flavoured vapes in an attempt to curb rising youth vaping rates.
Under the proposed regulation, sweet and dessert-inspired flavours like cotton candy, marshmallow, and donut will be pulled from the market. However, flavours such as tobacco, coffee, tea, mint, and fruit (including strawberry and banana) will remain legal.
Enforcement lax
Health officials claim the goal is to reduce the appeal of vaping to minors. Although sales of vapes to those under 18 are already banned, enforcement in Czechia is lax. Government data shows more than half of Czech teens report no trouble buying vape products.
But harm reduction experts and industry voices argue banning candy-flavoured vapes won’t make any meaningful difference.
“This will hardly lead to a restriction of electronic cigarettes among children,” said Robert Hrdlička, president of the Chamber of Electronic Vaping, which represents Czech vape makers and sellers. “Stricter enforcement of existing laws – such as heavier fines for retailers who sell to minors – would be more effective.”
Packaging restrictions
The proposed changes also include packaging restrictions. Cigarettes and vape products would be limited to plain white and dark brown designs, with no shiny finishes, bright colours, or trendy stickers. Labels with cartoon aesthetics, gaming references, or fantasy motifs would also be banned.
The new regulation would also address labelling inconsistencies. Currently, manufacturers list nicotine levels in varying units with some using percentages and others grams per milliliter, which can mislead consumers. The ministry wants all products to state nicotine content uniformly, making comparisons easier and increasing transparency.
Another major change would expand the list of banned ingredients in e-liquid refills and possibly establish maximum limits for certain additives. While existing laws require nicotine warnings on packages containing the substance, the Ministry argues that all vaping products should carry such warnings, since nicotine-free refills can be swapped out for those containing nicotine.
Addiction specialists share the concern that the flavour ban won’t deliver real results. Former national drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil is urging lawmakers to focus on enforcement, including pulling licenses from repeat-offending retailers.
Smoking down as vaping up
Meanwhile, public health data points to a shifting nicotine landscape. A 2022 study showed 22 per cent of Czech 15-year-olds had used vapes in the past 30 days. Traditional smoking is on the decline, but alternatives like vapes and heated tobacco are steadily gaining traction.
The National Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction reports that eight to 11 per cent of Czech adults now vape, with three to six per cent doing so daily.
While the Center acknowledges that nicotine pouches and vapes are among the least harmful nicotine products available, it reiterates that no nicotine use is entirely risk-free, particularly for youth.
The Ministry’s proposed changes are still pending final approval.
