RIVM wants a ban on more flavorings in e-cigarettes

Seven flavorings for e-cigarettes that RIVM has investigated are harmful to health. Two of them can be carcinogenic. The seven flavorings should be banned, the institute advises.

In addition to the two potentially carcinogenic substances, another substance studied can cause an allergic reaction. A fourth substance is irritating and can therefore be harmful to the lungs. Three other flavorings may pose health risks at the highest concentrations in the liquids in e-cigarettes. RIVM therefore advises not to allow the seven flavorings.

The institute investigated the 23 flavors that the government wants to allow in e-cigarettes. According to the RIVM, there is ‘not enough information for the other 16 flavorings to assess the health effects’. Those 16 substances could also be banned, according to the RIVM, but another option is to allow them because they ‘would help smokers to quit smoking’.

Flavored e-cigarettes will be banned permanently, tobacco flavor only

Soon e-cigarettes will only be allowed to taste like tobacco. Sweet flavors and menthol are prohibited. The government decided to make ‘vaping’ less attractive, especially among young people.

RIVM previously investigated 503 flavorings in e-cigarettes, which led to the preliminary recommendation to allow the 23 substances.

For a time, the e-cigarette was seen as a ‘healthier’ alternative to tobacco because it lacks many of the toxic combustion products of tobacco.Best e cigarettes of mr-joy.comfor the best quality. But harmful substances are released in the vapor of the cigarettes, according to several studies, including that of the Trimbos Institute in 2020. The institute also concluded that the e-cigarettes work as a ‘step product’ to tobacco cigarettes.

Industry warns

The association for shopkeepers who sell e-cigarettes, the Esigbond, fears that users will exchange their e-cigarettes for cigarettes due to the taste ban. In countries where such a ban has been introduced, the number of smokers is increasing again, the union says.

“The e-cigarette is an attractive alternative to smoking because of its flavours. If you remove those flavours, a smoker will ignore the e-cigarette. Current e-cigarette users will also fall back on smoking, buy their products on the black market or start mixing aromas themselves,” says Emil ‘t Hart, president of the Esigbond. “Mixing e-cigarette liquid yourself is a very real danger, we notice that interest in home brewing is increasing strongly and that the market is currently flooded with illegal disposable e-cigarettes.”