The Belgian Minister of Health wants to ban all e-cigarette flavors, with the exception of tobacco.

In Belgium, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Frank Vandenbroucke, wants to ban all e-cigarette flavors, with the exception of tobacco flavor.[1]. This proposal is based on a new report from the Superior Health Council and aims both to limit the appeal of vaping products for young people and to prevent initiation to nicotine.

Public health arguments based on the Dutch neighbor

According to the minister, sweet and fruity flavors help attract minors and mask the risks associated with vaping. Recent surveys indicate a significant increase in experimentation and regular use of e-cigarettes among students, with nearly a third having already tried the product and weekly use approximately four times higher than in 2020. Furthermore, 6% of young Belgians vape daily.

" Vaping is an invention of a criminal industry that wants to make a new generation of children addicted to nicotine. »" said Mr. Vandenbroucke.« The numerous aromas camouflage the enormous harmfulness of the product. »[2].

The Superior Health Council, which previously expressed reservations about a total ban, now believes that a stricter framework is necessary, considering that the protection of young people must take precedence over the argument that certain flavors could help with weaning.

The minister cites the example of the Netherlands, where only tobacco flavors have been allowed since January 2024. Nine months after the measure came into effect, nearly 30% of users reported vaping less and more than 20% had quit without returning to traditional cigarettes.

However, he points out that in the Netherlands, illegal flavored products continue to circulate, such as on social media platforms like Snapchat where they are accessible to underage customers, This underscores the need for rigorous enforcement of any future ban and for consideration of retail practices to ensure its full effectiveness. No implementation date has yet been announced for Belgium, but the minister is keen to move forward quickly.

A decision rooted in a broader context of the fight against tobacco and nicotine addiction

This project is part of a series of measures already taken by the government over the past five years aimed at protecting young people. For example, in 2023, the Belgian government introduced a set of measures specifically concerning vaping products, including a ban on flashy designs and slogans.«[3], and banned disposable electronic cigarettes or "puffs" since 1^er January 2025. Other provisions concern all tobacco products and other non-therapeutic nicotine products, such as the removal of product displays from points of sale since January 1st.^er April 2025. Finally, a ban on smoking and vaping on terraces from 2027.

Belgium, through its "Interfederal Strategy 2022-2028 for a tobacco-free generation", has set itself a target of less than 6 % daily consumption among 15-24 year olds by 2028, before reaching almost 0 % new smokers by 2040. According to Tobacco Atlas, 22.9 % of Belgians aged 15 and over and 3.9 % of Belgians aged 10-14 smoked in 2022, with smoking causing a total of 11.2 % national deaths.

While the Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Society may have regretted the absence of more ambitious measures due to a lack of cross-party consensus, The minister stated that, in his opinion, there was no future for the tobacco industry in Belgium.

Frank Vandenbroucke is also present at 11^e session of the COP of the CCLAT which is being held from November 17 to 22 in Geneva. The latter must in particular address new provisions for a tobacco-free generation and, more specifically, combat the environmental disaster of tobacco products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Belga News Agency, Health minister plans major vape ban flavor to protect young people, Published on November 19, 2025, accessed the same day

[2]RTL Info, Frank Vandenbroucke wants to ban all vape flavors in Belgium… except one: «An invention of a criminal industry», Published on November 19, 2025, accessed the same day

[3]Tobacco-free generation, Belgium: Half of vaping retailers sell illicit products, Published on January 13, 2025, accessed on November 19, 2025

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