Smoking in Belgium
Smoking is legally allowed in Belgium and tobacco is regulated. Cigarettes can be sold, and smoking is permitted with some restrictions. Cigarettes can be purchased through vending machines, but not online. The importation of cigarettes for trade is permitted. Health warnings are required on cigarette packaging, and there are no legal restrictions on smoking in public places. Cigarettes are subject to an excise tax rate of 22.51% and a total taxation rate of 79.91%. Despite these regulations, smoking remains a daunting public health concern in Belgium. In 2024, there were approximately 2.1 million current adult smokers in the country, representing an adult current smoking prevalence of 21.7%. In comparision, the current prevalence of smoking was 22.9% in 2022 and 21% in 2023. The current smoking prevalence was recorded to be higher among males (24.7%) than females (18.9%) in 2024. In 2023, adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence was 15.1%. In 2021, smoking led to an estimated 12,474 deaths in Belgium, including 9,041 deaths among males and 3,434 among females. These data indicate that, smoking resulted in 11.22% of all deaths in the country, and 16.11% of all male deaths and 6.23% of all female deaths were caused by smoking. These figures show that smoking continues to pose a heavy burden on public health in Belgium.
Read articles from Belgium
October 11, 2022 by brusselstimes.com
Nicotine sachets popularity among young people causing concern in Belgium
Snus, nicotine sachets which are consumed orally, is becoming increasingly popular among the Belgian youth, worrying health experts. [...] While this product is illegal in Belgium, the tobacco industry has circumvented the laws preventing its sale by manufacturing a tobacco-free version, a purely nicotine pouch, which is causing alarm as it is becoming very popular with young people here. "For a smoker, it's a way to do without tobacco by lowering the cancer risk factor," explains Adrien Meunier, a tobacconist from Liège. “But for young people there are other risks.”
July 11, 2022 by brusselstimes.com
Flemish Health Council calls for reform of how e-cigarettes are sold
The Flemish Health Council warns not to start smoking electronic cigarettes unless as a replacement for classic cigarettes. The Council calls on the government to enforce stricter measures on the liquids in e-cigarettes and to makes packaging less attractive to young people, De Morgen reported.
According to Belgium’s health office, almost 10% of young men between 15-24 smoked e-cigarettes once a week. In a student survey, 17% of Flemish youth admitted to smoking an e-cigarette once in the past year.
October 14, 2021 by brusselstimes.com
Smoking to become more expensive in Belgium
A packet of cigarettes in Belgium will soon become 25 cents more expensive as a result of increased tax duties on tobacco.
As part of the government’s budget agreement, announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld), the cost of cigarettes will be increased, of which the proceeds will go towards reducing the financial burden on the middle class, by gradually phasing out the special social security contribution among other things.
March 08, 2021 by biomedcentral.com
Electronic cigarettes in standard smoking cessation treatment by tobacco counselors in Flanders: [...]
This interventional-cohort study tried to answer if people who smoke and choose an e-cigarette in the context of smoking cessation treatment by tobacco counselors in Flanders are achieving smoking abstinence and how they compare to clients who opt for commonly recommended (or no) aids (nicotine replacement therapy, smoking cessation medication). Participants were recruited by tobacco counselors. They followed smoking cessation treatment (in group) for 2 months. At several times during treatment and 7 months after quit date, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires and to perform eCO measurements.
October 02, 2020 by brusselstimes.com
Belgium’s vaping law ‘still too vague’, Sciensano warns
The law regulating the use of electronic cigarettes is still too vague, the Sciensano public health institute reports on Thursday.
The law “imposes restrictions only on the presence of nicotines in e-liquids. Other substances are not explicitly banned and therefore we still often find them,” Sciensano said. “These are nicotine impurities, volatile organic compounds and diacetyl and acetyl propionyl flavour enhancers. The latter are safe in food but can be harmful when inhaled over long periods of time,” said Sophia Barhdadi, a researcher at Sciensano, based on sample analyses.
February 05, 2020 by brusselstimes.com
Belgium will ban all tobacco advertising fromfe 2021
All forms of tobacco advertising in Belgium will be banned from January 2021.
Currently, newsagent’s shops are still allowed to advertise tobacco products in the store, and on the facades. However, the parliament voted unanimously that all these forms of advertising will also be abolished, reports VRT.
Most of the advertising for tobacco products has been banned since 1999. The government’s aim is to discourage smoking as it is still the main cause of lung cancers that every person can choose to avoid. However, the legislation still allowed a few exceptions.
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