Fines up to 5,000 euros: Slovenia has banned electronic scented cigarettes

According to last year's amendments to the Law on Restricting Smoking and Similar Products, the sale of electronic cigarettes and fillings of sweet taste, fruit and plant is prohibited in Slovenia, regardless of whether they contain nicotine.

According to the Slovenian Health Ministry, it is only allowed to sell products with 16 allowed substances that give the aroma of tobacco.

Research indicates that electronic cigarettes are also used by children between the ages of 9 and 11. It should be known that they are harmful to health and contain carcinogenic components. The first key subject is nicotine, which affects the heart and blood vessels, lungs and brain development, and causes addiction to”, warned Vesna Marinko, director of the Directorate for Public Health.

Smelly cigarettes, especially so - called sweet - flavored and fruit - have produced an increase in consumption among minors up to 200 percent in just three years for which the state has reacted decisively. Authorities hope this move will help more young people to quit smoking, reports Al Jazeera Balkans. 20 years ago, every third resident in Slovenia smoked, while today every fifth. However, the ban was introduced after data showed that most minors now use electronic cigarettes, with their number growing by nearly 200 percent in recent years.

High Fines

Fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 euros are envisioned for people selling or offering banned perfumes in electronic cigarettes. Those buying banned online products can be fined from 125 to 5,000 euros.

Respecting the ban on selling scented electronic cigarettes will be done by health inspectors and the Tax Administration, which will receive product samples, control their compliance, and if necessary, release products that are incompatible.

Increasing Public Oversight

Added oversight will also apply to stopping smoking in closed public spaces as well as in playgrounds and garden and school courtyards. Users of electronic cigarettes violating the ban could be fined up to 5,000 euros.

Inspector Barbara Kocjan Slapar earlier announced that the inspectors will conduct checks in co-operation with police and municipal guards, including public transportation, such as city buses.

The Ministry of Health considers establishing this ban an important step in protecting citizens' health, especially young people. With that, Slovenia joined numerous European Union members who have already adopted similar measures.

According to data from the National Institute of Public Health, 60 people die every week in Slovenia from the effects of smoking. The institute advocates additional restrictions, including reducing the number of sales points and increasing the price of tobacco products. Slovenia has very progressive anti-smoking laws. Thirty years ago, he introduced the division of smoking zones and not smoking, in 2007 he banned smoking in closed environments and in 2017 banned the sale of designed cigarette packages, replacing them with standardized brown-style boxes with warnings and photos that recall the health consequences of Y Blackera.