Vaping: Belgium wants to end flavours by 2028

Belgium is taking a further step in its policy against tobacco and vaping. The government has approved a far-reaching measure: a ban on flavours in electronic cigarettes from 1 September 2028. The decision marks an important turning point for the vaping sector and could inspire other European countries in the years ahead.

A radical measure to make vaping less appealing

In practical terms, the regulation provides for the removal of all flavours from e-liquids, with the exception of tobacco flavour and of electronic cigarettes with no flavour at all. That means fruity, menthol, fresh or sweet flavours could disappear from the legal Belgian market.

The authorities’ aim is clear: to make the electronic cigarette less appealing, particularly to young people. According to the Belgian government, flavours play a central part in the growth of vaping. They soften the experience, sometimes mask the presence of nicotine and give the product a more playful and more accessible image, less closely associated with the risks linked to dependence.

A decision driven by the rise of vaping among young people

The ban rests on a finding the authorities consider worrying: use of the electronic cigarette is rising sharply among teenagers and young adults. In the space of a few years, vaping has become a highly visible product, sometimes seen as fashionable, not least because of the variety of tastes on offer.

Sweet and fruity flavours, or those modelled on confectionery, are singled out in particular. For the health authorities, they help to make vaping seem ordinary and can make a first use easier. The fear is of seeing a new generation enter into nicotine dependence through products presented as less aggressive than the conventional cigarette.

An increasingly strict Belgian strategy

The ban on flavours is not an isolated measure. It is part of a wider strategy against tobacco and nicotine products. In recent years, Belgium has already tightened its oversight of the market, notably with the ban on disposable electronic cigarettes, also known as puffs, and with stricter rules on how visible products may be in shops.

The country has set itself a firm ambition: to reduce the number of young people taking up nicotine and to move towards a tobacco-free generation. On that reading, vaping is no longer regarded solely as an alternative to tobacco for adult smokers, but also as a product whose appeal must be strictly controlled.

A debate that divides the trade and the authorities

While the authorities defend the measure in the name of public health, it has also drawn a good deal of criticism. Professionals in the vaping sector fear in particular that the ban will deprive adult smokers of a tool they find useful in moving away from tobacco. For many users, flavours do play an important part in giving up the conventional cigarette.

Some in the trade also fear the growth of a parallel market. With a large part of the legal offer removed, consumers could be tempted to turn to imported products, uncontrolled or bought outside regulated channels. That situation could create new risks, particularly in terms of product quality, traceability and safety.

A possible impact on the European market

The Belgian decision could reach beyond the country’s borders. In Europe, several governments are watching closely how rules on the electronic cigarette are developing. If the measure is applied as planned in 2028, it could add weight to discussions about stricter control of flavours at European level.

For manufacturers, distributors and specialist shops, that prospect already means thinking about how their ranges will change. The market could be led to refocus on tobacco-flavoured or neutral products, with a far narrower offer than today.

What future for the electronic cigarette?

The ban raises a broader question: what place does society want to give the electronic cigarette? For some, it remains a risk-reduction tool intended for adult smokers. For others, it is now a product too appealing to young people, and must therefore be governed as firmly as tobacco.

Belgium appears to have chosen a very restrictive line. By severely limiting flavours, the government wants to reduce the appeal of vaping and prevent the electronic cigarette from becoming a way into nicotine. Whether that strategy will genuinely protect young people without penalising adults who use vaping as an alternative to the cigarette remains to be seen.

The main points

From 1 September 2028, Belgium plans to ban flavours in electronic cigarettes, apart from tobacco taste and unflavoured products. The decision is part of an ambitious public health policy aimed at limiting the appeal of vaping to young people.

Between protecting new generations, the concerns of the trade and the debate on risk reduction, the measure could mark a major turning point for the future of vaping in Belgium, and in the rest of Europe as well.