Belgium’s Public Health Minister Maggie De Block is scheduled to introduce legislation that would legalize the sale of electronic cigarettes to people aged 16 and above, according to an Expatica.com story.
However, given that the bill is signed into law by HM King Philippe, electronic cigarettes will have to comply with all of the advertising restrictions and all of the health-warning requirements that apply to tobacco cigarettes.
The health warnings will be required even though the Health Council has stated that electronic cigarettes can form part of the government’s drive to discourage tobacco, since, while electronic cigarettes might deliver nicotine, they deliver no tar.
The governing Flemish Christian democrats had wanted taxes to be levied on electronic cigarettes, but this didn’t make the final draft being brought in by Belgium’s Flemish liberal public health minister.
In future, electronic cigarettes will be available from newsagents but not from chemists. Online sales are banned.