Dutch court backs ban on sweet-flavoured e-cigarettes.
A Dutch court on Wednesday upheld a government ban on sweet flavors for e-cigarettes, arguing they encouraged young people to smoke.
The District Court in The Hague threw out an appeal by British American Tobacco (BAT), which argued that a ban on flavors in e-cigarettes went against the principle of the free movement of goods.
“The flavor ban is not unlawful,” the court’s verdict read.
“The harmfulness of the e-cigarette and the attractive effect of the sweet flavors on young people have been sufficiently established,” it added.
BAT had argued the flavor ban was a de-facto ban on e-cigarettes overall, which could even be counter-productive for authorities’ efforts to stamp out smoking.
The firm had argued that fewer smokers of regular cigarettes would be tempted to switch to e-cigarettes in an attempt to quit if the flavor ban was upheld.
But the court also stubbed out this argument.
“The fact that e-cigarettes with tobacco flavor are permitted is also a factor. Other manufacturers have succeeded in developing such e-cigarettes,” the court ruled.
“Smokers who try to quit by switching to an e-cigarette can therefore continue to do so under the flavor ban.”
© 2024 AFP
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Dutch court upholds e-cigarette flavor ban (2024, November 6)
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