Electronic cigarettes

Belgium will become the first European Union country to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, starting January 1, 2025. The ban, which was announced due to both health and environmental concerns, aims to curb the rise of nicotine addiction among teenagers and reduce the environmental impact of these products.

Sixteen EU countries have asked the European Commission to propose a new law in the coming months on taxing tobacco in the bloc to include new products such as electronic cigarettes - vapes - which are not covered under existing legislation.

Three large Chinese vape companies are researching nicotine-like chemicals they think could serve as a substitute for nicotine in products like vapes, company officials said, but the health implications may still need "years" of investigation.

Bulgaria's National Assembly has enacted a ban on the sale and use of vapes and heated tobacco products by individuals under the age of 18. The new law also prohibits the offering of these products to minors. Kostadin Angelov from GERB, a key proponent of the legislative changes, indicated that future efforts will focus on regulating energy drinks.

With the young generation increasingly using e-cigarettes, advertised by the tobacco industry as "less harmful than traditional cigarettes," experts are concerned about the long-term repercussions of these devices, which remain poorly understood and could pose unforeseen risks.

Preliminary data from an online survey conducted by the Medical University - Plovdiv and the Health Care Foundation reveal concerning trends in smoking habits among children in Bulgaria. According to the findings, two percent of children aged 6 to 9 smoke traditional cigarettes, while three percent use electronic cigarettes.

European governments are weighing the introduction of tougher rules on cigarette makers' new zero-tobacco heat sticks, moving to close the loopholes they were designed to exploit just months after their launch.

Türkiye has emerged as the leading nation globally for the highest number of cigarettes smoked, earning the disconcerting distinction with 17.1 cigarettes per capita per day, according to a European Union (EU) Statistics Office report.

All tobacco products featuring flavors other than tobacco are set to be withdrawn from sale by January 1, 2024. The amendments to the law on tobacco and tobacco products, recently ratified by deputies, established this regulation without encountering any debate.

An investigative magistrate and a prosecutor in Thessaloniki ordered on Thursday the detention of three teenagers accused of beating and robbing a 54-year-old teacher outside a local high school last Monday.