Lithuania Will Prohibit Vape Flavors Next Year

Lithuania has notified the European Commission it will ban e-liquid containing flavors other than tobacco beginning July 1, 2022. The flavor prohibition would apply to both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free products.

The public is able to comment on the draft law until Oct. 11.

The law passed the Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) in June by a vote of 59 to 5 (with 12 abstaining), according to news site Archyworldys. It would amend the country’s Law on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products.

The Seimas began debating a flavor ban more than a year ago, first proposing a ban on nicotine-containing e-liquids. Legislators later modified the law to also include nicotine-free vape juice, to prevent vapers from using short fills and nicotine shots to skirt the flavor ban.

According to a 2020 EU survey, about 28 percent of Lithuanian residents smoke—well above the EU average. Lithuania is among the smallest EU member countries, with a population of under three million.

Six other European countries have passed flavor bans. In Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Ukraine, restrictions on non-tobacco flavors are already in place. Denmark’s flavor ban will take effect April 1, 2022. In the Netherlands, vaping advocates are still fighting a flavor ban, which is set to take effect July 1, 2022.