On Thursday, the federal government of Belgium announced a significant policy shift by approving a ban on flavored vapes, set to take effect in September 2028. Under this new regulation, only tobacco-flavored and unflavored e-cigarettes will be permitted for sale in the country.
Focus on youth health
Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke emphasized that this legislative action aims to combat youth addiction to vaping. “We want to protect the health of our children and young people and prevent a new generation from becoming dependent on tobacco,” he stated during a press conference.
He criticized the flavored options available in the market, explaining, “With their attractive flavors, vapes are deliberately designed to lure young people into smoking. That is unacceptable and it must stop.” In his remarks, Vandenbroucke described vaping as “an invention of a criminal industry” that conceals hazardous substances behind appealing flavors like “mint, apple, popcorn or raspberry.”
Aligning with EU regulations
This decisive action aligns Belgium with its neighboring country, the Netherlands, which has already implemented similar restrictions, limiting e-cigarette options to tobacco flavors only. A study conducted by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands indicates that these regulations have had positive outcomes, with nearly 40% of users reducing their consumption and over 20% quitting vaping altogether.
The ban comes in response to a recommendation by Belgium’s Superior Health Council in November 2025, which advocated for a significant reduction in permitted flavors with an emphasis on protecting youth over catering to adult preferences.
This latest initiative is a continuation of Belgium’s earlier efforts to restrict vaping products. The country was the first in the EU to outlaw disposable vapes at the end of 2024 and has tightened regulations regarding where smoking and vaping are permitted. These actions are part of a broader strategy aimed at achieving a smoke-free generation by 2040. Other EU nations have since adopted similar measures, with Slovenia implementing a comparable flavor ban in May 2024.
Belgium is set to notify the European Commission of these new regulations, with the intention to have them fully enacted by September 1, 2028.