A junior minister in the Netherlands has compared vaping to heroin and crack cocaine use in a presentation to other politicians.
State Secretary Vincent Karremans told the Dutch House of Representatives that he wants to prevent people from starting to vape and encourage anyone already vaping to stop. In his publicly-available statement, he claimed nicotine is the most addictive drug after heroin and crack cocaine, and that it can cause serious health issues.
Karremans, State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sport, said: “Because nicotine is the most addictive drug after heroin and crack, vapes are highly addictive. Nicotine damages the developing brain and can lead to a persistent addiction at a young age.
“That in itself is very serious, but it also makes you more susceptible to other addictions. That is why I am doing what I can to tackle this problem.”
‘Misguided’ comments
Vaping advocacy body the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has condemned the comparison as “misguided,” saying it puts lives at risk by scaring people away from a product that is proven to be far safer than smoking.
The group said Karremans’ comments are “not only inaccurate but also harmful to public health efforts” and added his “claim that ‘nicotine is the most addictive drug in existence after heroin and crack’ is a blatant misrepresentation of scientific evidence and contributes to the growing pandemic of misinformation surrounding vaping in the Netherlands.”
The blunder comes after European commissioner Wopke Hoekstra made the false claim last month that “vaping kills” in a public address to parliament.
Speaking at the Subcommittee on Tax Matters on February 6, Hoekstra inaccurately stated that vaping kills in the same way as smoking.
Michael Landl, Director of the WVA, said: “The Dutch government’s fear-mongering tactics are not only wrong but dangerous. By spreading such misinformation, they are actively undermining efforts to combat smoking in the Netherlands. The scientific evidence is clear: vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and has helped millions quit cigarettes.”
Statements go against evidence
The statements that “nicotine harms the developing brain” and “makes you more susceptible to other addictions” go against strong evidence to the contrary from respected organisations such as Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
ASH addressed vaping myths last year, stating that young people who vape are far less likely to be nicotine-dependent than smokers. And a review by leading health experts published last month concluded there is no evidence vaping leads to smoking among youth.
ASH also stated that no data is available on the direct effects of nicotine exposure in human adolescents, undermining any definitive claims about its impact on developing brains.
In September, a poll found that a sweeping ban on online vape sales and flavours in the Netherlands had backfired. The survey by Dutch vaping consumer association ACVODA found that since the ban came into force in January 2024, most vapers (80 per cent) had simply switched to buying vapes from other countries or online.
Netherlands falling behind on smoking rates
The WVA said that while Sweden has been declared ‘smoke-free’ and New Zealand is on the verge of being next, “thanks to their progressive approaches to vaping and nicotine pouches”, the Netherlands is falling behind with a smoking rate of almost 20 per cent.
Landl said: “It’s deeply concerning to see the Dutch government ignore the success stories of countries like Sweden and New Zealand. Instead of embracing proven harm reduction strategies, they choose to peddle myths that will only serve to keep people smoking.”
The WVA says it has called on the Dutch government to retract its misleading statements and revise its approach based on factual, scientific evidence.
“Failing to do so will only perpetuate the smoking epidemic and deny smokers access to potentially life-saving alternatives,” it said.
