Tag: Portugal

  • Portugal Considers Ban on Public Use, Online Sales

    Portugal Considers Ban on Public Use, Online Sales

    Credit: Paulo MF Pires

    The government in Portugal is discussing a new draft law regulating vaping and other tobacco product use. The new EU delegated act of the Tobacco Products Directive would be brought into the national legislation on heated tobacco products, including several provisions on vaping that have not been a part of the original delegated act. 

    Draft Law No. 88/XV aims to extend smoke-free areas’ restrictions to the use of vaping products – effectively banning vaping in outdoor spaces such as the terraces of bars and restaurants – and to restrict the sale of vaping products by banning online sales, according to an emailed press release.

    Alberto Gómez Hernández, community manager of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said the measures represent a step backward in the adoption of an “open and evidence-based approach” to alternative nicotine products.

    “Instead of making it more difficult for smokers to access safer nicotine products, Portugal should follow the steps of countries that are successfully reducing smoking rates by encouraging smokers to switch, such as the United Kingdom and Sweden,” he said. “Banning the online sale of vaping products leaves smoking as the only option for those who do not have alternative nicotine product outlets nearby.”

  • Portugal Cracking Down on Vape, Tobacco Marketing

    Portugal Cracking Down on Vape, Tobacco Marketing

    Credit: Butenkov

    New legislation aims to restrict the use and sale of vaping and other tobacco products in Portugal.

    A new bill will ban smoking in outdoor spaces next to public buildings such as schools, colleges and hospitals. It will also tighten control over the sale and marketing of cigarettes and other tobacco products in the country.

    The aim is that by 2025 they will only be available for purchase in tobacconists, petrol stations and airports, reports EuroNews.

    If enacted, it will no longer be possible to sell tobacco directly or through vending machines in places such as restaurants, bars, concert halls and venues, casinos, fairs and exhibitions. The products will also be prohibited at music festivals.

    Portugal is also complying with the European directive of June 29, 2022, which puts heated tobacco products on an equal footing with other tobacco products.

  • Juul Labs to Exit South Korea, 5 EU Markets

    Juul Labs to Exit South Korea, 5 EU Markets

    Juul Labs said today it would end operations in South Korea, a year after it entered the market. The company states the cause was its inability to gain market share amid government health warnings.

    In a statement, Juul Labs stated that since the beginning of the year it was working through a restructuring process aimed a re-establishing a viable business in South Korea by significantly reducing costs and making changes to its products.

    “However, these innovations will not be available as anticipated,” the statement said. “As a result, we intend to cease our operations in South Korea.”

    In October last year, South Korea’s health ministry advised people to stop vaping because of growing health concerns, especially after a case of pneumonia was reported in a 30-year-old e-cigarette user that month, according to Reuters news article.

    The announcement prompted convenience store chains and duty free shops to suspend the sale of flavored liquid e-cigarettes, including those made by Juul Labs.

    In December, South Korean health authorities said they had found vitamin E acetate, which may be linked to lung illnesses, in some liquid e-cigarette products made by Juul Labs, but the company denied using the material, according to Reuters.

    Juul Labs launched a product portfolio that was specifically developed for the Korean market in May 2019, but “our performance has not met expectations in terms of meeting the needs of our Korean adult smokers to successfully transition from combustible cigarettes,” according to the statement. “We have learned through this process and are focused on innovating our product portfolio.”

    Juul Labs is also reportedly ready to withdraw from a handful of EU markets as well, claiming the regulatory environment has become overly hostile to the device.

    According to BuzzFeed News, Juul will soon remove its products from shelves in Austria, Belgium, Portugal, France, and Spain.

    The news outlet reports the European Union’s strict requirement that e-cigs contain no more than 20 milligrams of nicotine makes it difficult for Juul to do business there.

    Austria, Belgium, and Portugal are very small markets for Juul, but the leading e-cig manufacturer generates significant sales from France and Spain. It will exit France by the end of the year, but withdraw from the other countries in July, paring its presence in global markets to a narrow selection that includes Germany, Italy, Russia, and the U.K.