They finally banned the sale and use of vapes by minors . Their advertising on radio and television is also prohibited, BNT reported.
Fines from BGN 1,000 to BGN 3,000, and BGN 2,000 to BGN 5,000 in case of repeated violations are foreseen. However, typically in our country - despite the bans and sanctions, control is important, because even now there are bans, but they are not respected.
Until now, e-cigarettes had a label stating that their sale to persons under 18 was prohibited, but the recommendation was rarely followed. A BNT check showed that vapes are currently still available to minors. Before our eyes, a 15-year-old boy bought a vape with nicotine, and the saleswoman didn't even ask him how old he was.
Vapes are very common among teenagers, they are often presented in advertisements as more harmless than regular cigarettes, but this is not the case at all, numerous scientific studies show. Even vapes without nicotine contain toxic substances.
Some e-cigarettes are still sold without a sticker because they are from an older batch. The new models must be sold with a label and the inscription "Prohibited for sale to persons under 18 years of age", regardless of whether they are with or without nicotine.
The ban covers not only vapes with nicotine, but also those with plant, herb or fruit-based liquids, as well as vapes containing substances prohibited by the Controlled Narcotic Substances Act. Young people say that both nicotine vapes and those with synthetic marijuana are sold freely on the Internet.
In the Internet trade of vapes is really massive. You just need to press a button to confirm that you are 18. Electronic cigarettes are also sold with analogues of hexahydrocannabinol, which was banned at the beginning of the year. Manufacturers are inventive and change some of the ingredients and the name of the substance in order not to fall under the blows of the law.
BNT raised the topic back in May, when after a report aired in the news, the institutions investigated themselves and withdrew toy-shaped electronic cigarettes from the commercial network. Control over the sites was also tightened.