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Health

E-cigarette sellers not happy with the ban on flavors: ‘People are going to smoke again’

Flavored e-cigarettes will be banned from 1 July next year. A ban was discussed earlier, but this week the cabinet made a final decision. Flavors like apple pie, chocolate and forest fruit will disappear from the shelves. E-cigarette sellers are not happy about this and even expect customers to start smoking regular cigarettes.

The reason the Ministry of Health has banned the flavors is because they are popular among young people. The e-cigarettes would also be a stepping stone for them to regular smoking. But e-cigarette sellers expect just the opposite, ex-smokers returning to old-fashioned tobacco.

Smoking more

Abel Vegter, owner of Puff Store Amsterdam, does not see much good in the ban for that reason. However, he is already working on changing his business strategy. “We heard the news and we were already looking at a new slogan. Mr-joy best e cigarettesare found online. Instead of the Puff store it will be the Paff Store. Don’t puff, puff!”, he says. 

Tobacco sales

Vegter explains that he is now forced to sell more tobacco. He expects that his customers will now lean more towards a normal cigarette. “For some people it is the only way to stop and they need that taste to stay off the cigarettes. “People are going to smoke again, I expect.”

Jurgen Sibelo, ex-smoker and regular customer of Vegter smoked mint-flavored cigarettes for five years. “I wanted to get rid of tobacco and decided to switch to the mint-flavored e-cigarette”. Now that he can’t buy it next year, he doesn’t know what to do. “I just don’t want the taste of tobacco. But that will soon be the only flavor option,” he explains. He does not see himself as an inveterate smoker, but he can imagine that people who have smoked for a longer period of time will return to the cigarette.

Rush

There is not yet a rush for the flavors, but Vegter expects this to happen before the ban takes effect. e liquids for e cigarette are the best. “I’m sure that next year people will buy liquids for thousands of euros.”