Belgium's new anti-smoking regulations: From April 2025, stores will be prohibited from displaying tobacco products
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Belgium's new anti-smoking regulations: From April 2025, stores will be prohibited from displaying tobacco products
Belgium announced that from April 1, 2025, all stores will be prohibited from publicly displaying tobacco products in an effort to reduce smoking rates. The ban applies to retailers but not wholesalers, and violators will face heavy fines.
According to The Mayor.EU on July 11, the Belgian Federal Public Health Service (FPS) announced that from April 1, 2025, all stores across the country will not be allowed to publicly display the tobacco products they sell. This means hiding not only brand logos but also the actual products.
The purpose of the restriction is to reduce the country's smoking rate by reducing the visibility of tobacco products.
The measure was supposed to take effect on January 1, but it has been postponed for three months. The ban applies to all types of tobacco and smoking-related products, including cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, filters and cigarette papers.
In addition, the Belgian government has already increased the price of cigarettes through taxes this year and promised to increase the number of public places where smoking is prohibited.
The ban applies to all retailers in Belgium but not wholesalers. Failure to comply with the restriction may result in one year in prison and a fine of 2,000 to 800,000 euros.
According to Belgian news agency Belga, VapeBel, the Belgian e-cigarette retail and distribution alliance, expressed disappointment. The alliance said that specialized stores play a role in effective age verification and introducing e-cigarette products to adult smokers as a smoking cessation tool.
VapeBel called for an exception for specialized stores.
Regarding how customers know which tobacco products are available in stores, the authorities said that retailers should compile price lists that include product names and brands. However, these price lists cannot include any brand logos.
