DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

11 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Dutch extend smoking rules to cover e-cigarettes, plan to ban flavours

June 23, 2020
Photo: Depositphotos.com
Photo: Depositphotos.com

The Dutch government is to extend current legislation on smoking to cover electronic cigarettes from July 1, and is also planning an outright ban on flavoured tobacco products for e-cigarettes.

The measures, outlined in a briefing to parliament on Tuesday, are aimed at making smoking less attractive to youngsters. Smoking is to be banned in all school playgrounds from the start of the next academic year and from October 1, cigarettes and rolling tobacco may only be sold in neutral packaging.

Research by the Trimbos addiction clinic earlier this year showed 27% of 12 to 16-year-olds have used an e-cigarette, as have 44% of vocational and hbo college students.

Trimbos also said there is increasing evidence that they are becoming a stepping stone to tobacco. In particular the flavours are attractive to youngsters, as is the low cost.

‘These new insights confirm that the smoke-free generation we are working towards must also be an e-cigarette free generation,’ junior health minister Paul Blokhuis said in the briefing. ‘There is no place for all these tempting, exotic flavours.’

E-cigarettes with tobacco taste will remain on sale as an ‘ultimate aid’ to help hardened smokers stop, Blokhuis said.

A health ministry spokesman told DutchNews.nl that the ban on flavoured c-cigarette products would be achieved via new legislation, with spring 2021 as a target date.

Rules are also to be introduced for the IQOS, a type of e-cigarette which heats tobacco. It will fall under the same rules as apply to other tobacco products, with an age limit and advertising ban.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Health
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Anti-smoking lobby slates SnapChat over illegal vape dealers
Dutch-trained dogs are still being used by the Israeli army
Eurostar adds more direct trains between Amsterdam and London
MPs back plan to ban smartphones all day in secondary schools
Amazon and Meta are no longer sponsoring Pride Amsterdam
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now