Netherlands: Smoking and vaping age limit could rise from 18 to 21

Vincent Karremans, the Dutch State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport, is exploring options for raising the legal age for the sale of tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21. He is also considering making the sale of vapes containing flavored liquids other than tobacco a criminal offense and increasing fines for those who break the law, he said at the launch of an action plan to combat smoking and vaping among young people.[1]The government also wants to reduce the number of points of sale for vaping products and impose plain packaging for these products.

The Netherlands intends to regulate the e-cigarette market much more strictly

The Secretary of State described the vaping situation in the Netherlands as "very serious" and promised to do everything possible to remedy it. after the ban on flavored vapes in 2024However, he pointed out that young people could still buy them illegally, particularly online – fines for selling them can accumulate up to €22,500 – and announced a bill to make the possession of flavored vapes illegal. Since the beginning of the year, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has confiscated 180,000 vapes.

Esther Croes of the Trimbos Institute welcomed the strategy, stressing that increasing the minimum age for the sale of vaping products was essential to reduce initiation and addiction. She also proposed banning all non-therapeutic nicotine products to prevent the emergence of new, dangerous products. The Dutch Ministry of Health is also calling on Brussels to tighten restrictions on e-cigarette flavors, nicotine, and packaging, as well as to regulate cross-border sales within the European Union.

Scientific studies report significant addiction among young people

By 2023, nearly a quarter of young people aged 12 to 16 will have already tried vaping, according to the RIVM health institute.[2]This is a wake-up call for public health experts: " The presence of nicotine makes vaping highly addictive. This is not surprising: nicotine is the most addictive drug in existence after heroin and crack cocaine. " said the ministry, citing a RIVM report. The market introduction of attractive connected devices for young people such as “smart vapes” also worries health professionals.

According to the Trimbos Institute, one in five young people under 25 uses an e-cigarette, and 70% of these vapers also smoke cigarettes. The 18-year-old age limit is often ignored, and online sales are booming. In 2024, at least 14 children were hospitalized after using vapes, according to the Dutch Society of Pediatrics (NVK), with serious consequences such as collapsed lungs or pulmonary hemorrhage, and pediatricians suspect many more cases of health problems. Some popular vapes contain toxic metals, carcinogenic chemicals, and nicotine levels well above the legal limit.

The goal: a tobacco-free generation by 2040

The Netherlands aims for a tobacco-free future by 2040, with tougher rules and a €3 million investment in an awareness campaign targeting parents.[3]. E-cigarettes are not, according to the Secretary of State, perceived with the same seriousness as tobacco products – experts explain that although perceived as a "safer" alternative, vaping is addictive and often leads young people to smoke tobacco products, the Secretary of State specifies – parents and children alike must be better informed about the risks of addiction and the long-term consequences. The government also plans strict measures against non-compliant retailers.

The proposal will soon be debated in Parliament, where lawmakers will consider public and industry feedback. The government is also considering a tax on tobacco manufacturers to fund prevention and public health campaigns.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] DutchNews, Dutch crack down on smoking and vaping, age limit may rise to 21, published March 12, 2025, accessed March 13, 2025

[2] Mokrani, Farah, Netherlands set to raise smoking and vaping age to 21, EuroWeekly News, published March 12, 2025, accessed March 13, 2025

[3] NL Times, Smoking & vaping age limit could increase from 18 to 21; Higher fines for illegal vapes, published March 12, 2025, accessed March 13, 2025