The trend for European countries to ban flavoured e-liquids is gaining momentum. Latvia became the ninth country in a row to ban flavoured e-liquids this year - and more are on the way. The majority of EU countries, including Sweden, are still free to ban flavoured e-liquids, but if the trend continues, the balance could shift quickly.
When the Latvian Parliament decided earlier this year to ban flavoured e-liquids, both with and without nicotine, the country followed in the footsteps of several others that have introduced similar rules in recent years. According to the Vaping360 website, Latvia became the ninth European country to ban flavoured e-liquids. Previously, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, France and Ukraine have taken the same decision.
One of the legislators behind the decision in Latvia, MP Anda Čakša, justified the ban on the grounds that ”flavours similar to candy and fruit attract young people to start using e-cigarettes”, according to The Baltic Times, and this is the same rhetoric heard in other countries.
Key to quitting smoking
Criticism of the decisions is always clear from the industry. Several European trade organisations for vejp products argue that flavour bans only make it harder for smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives. According to the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), the bans are more likely to lead to more people continuing to smoke cigarettes or turning to a growing black market.
”For adults who have quit smoking with the help of vejpning, flavour is a key part of the experience,” IEVA Secretary General Dustin Dahlmann told the Vaping Post.
”Taking away the flavours is taking away the very tool that has helped millions of Europeans quit smoking,” he continues.
Press more countries
Similar rules are now being discussed in several other countries. Spain presented a bill in the autumn that would ban both flavoured liquids and disposable models, and Belgium introduced a total sales ban on disposable products in January 2025. Slovenia has also decided on a future ban on all flavoured e-liquids, according to the French organisation ”Génération Sans Tabac”. The law will only come into force after a transitional period, so the country cannot be counted as the tenth European country with a ban at the time of writing.
”We see a European trend where countries are trying to regulate vejpning more tightly, often with the argument of protecting young people. The problem is that these measures also reduce incentives for smoking cessation and increase the risk of poorer public health,” says Dustin Dahlmann.
Sweden in the favourable majority
As you know, Sweden has never introduced a flavour ban on e-liquids. A proposal was put forward in a bill in 2021, but Parliament voted against the flavour ban part, and no new laws have been adopted.
However, if this trend continues, Sweden could find itself in a minority position in the EU, especially if more large countries follow France and Spain. Currently, the majority of member states still allow flavours - but the trend is clear and points towards more and more bans.
