One in five supermarkets, cafés and bars failed to comply with the new tobacco sales ban in the first half of 2024, according to new figures from Dutch product safety board NVWA.

From 1 July, the sale of tobacco and vapes was banned in supermarkets and hospitality venues, but illegal sales remain widespread, particularly in smaller shops and via social media, the paper said.

Inspectors found violations in 21% of initial checks, with the lowest compliance in night shops and smaller independent supermarkets. Since the supermarket sales ban took effect, around 6,400 tobacco points of sale have closed, while 656 new ones have opened—nearly half of them tobacco-only shops.

Enforcement is also becoming more difficult as illegal sellers shift online. The NVWA recorded 1,868 online violations this year, but identifying offenders remains a challenge.

“When the account is named something like pietjevape23, it becomes a huge search,” NVWA spokesman Lex Benden told the Telegraaf. “It’s far more labour-intensive than checking a shop.”

The inspection team for alcohol, tobacco and vapes now has 35 staff, up from six last year. “We’re hiring more people, but it’s never enough,” Benden said. He added that enforcement alone will not solve the problem and that schools and parents also have a role.

Junior health minister Judith Tielen called the growing trade in vapes via platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat “worrying and undesirable”. She told MPs in a briefing that €3 million in extra funding will be allocated annually to support the NVWA’s inspection work.

She also plans to meet with social media companies soon to discuss their responsibilities. “They should not want their platforms used to sell illegal vapes,” she said.