Belgium - Clearing the Air

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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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Panic over vapes, opioids and Dutch teens – what the science actually says

Two recent stories - Dutch teens “flooding” hospitals after vaping and Belgian kids supposedly being “hooked” on hidden opioids in vapes - sound terrifying. They also risk seriously misleading the public about what’s really going on with youth nicotine and drugs. Let’s…

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Belgium plans sweeping vape flavour ban amid policy gridlock

Belgium’s federal government is preparing a sweeping ban on all vape flavours except tobacco, a move Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke says is necessary to stem rising youth vaping. But the announcement lands as Vandenbroucke and his party face mounting questions about stalled…

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OPINION: Belgium is becoming a narco-state, so the Government’s giving the gangs another market to play in: nicotine.

There are some upsides to living in Brussels, as I have done for much of my adult life. The tax system sucks, but the cost of housing is reasonable (for this London boy anyway), the schools and hospitals are great, and there’s…

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EXCLUSIVE: Belgian Deputy Prime Minister to host public anti-nicotine seminar during COP 11

Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and former Health Minister Franck Vandenbroucke will host a livestreamed seminar on novel nicotine products, with a focus on vaping, during the WHO’s biannual conference on tobacco control in November. According to documents seen by Clearing the Air…

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“A cruel joke on Europe’s smokers”: French pouch ban to go ahead in April

With France pushing ahead with its criminalisation of nicotine pouches despite objections from seven other EU Member States, consumers and health policy advocates have slammed the measure, warning that it will criminalise ordinary Europeans crossing borders with safer nicotine products and push…

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Belgium confirms outdoor smoking and vaping ban from 2027

Belgium will ban smoking and vaping on public terraces and in designated smoking rooms from 1 January 2027. The federal government says the measure covers restaurant and café terraces as well as smoking rooms in airports, hospitality venues and clubs that cater…

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Austria moves to ban disposable vapes

Austria is set to ban the sale of single-use vapes, citing concerns about youth vaping and environmental risks.

News Science

STUDY: Flavour bans make things worse

Flavor bans for vaping are associated with increased cigarette use and black-market activity, including the risk of youth access and reduced consumer safety, according to a new policy paper from the Tholos Foundation. The report draws on a combination of academic literature,…

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