Lithuania Has No Immediate Plans for a Disposable E-Cigarette Ban

Lithuania’s Health Ministry is not yet drafting a specific law to ban disposable electronic cigarettes, despite the issue appearing in the government’s action plan. The ministry says it first wants to discuss and assess bills already registered in parliament by individual lawmakers before deciding whether additional legislation is needed.

“Currently, the ministry is not preparing any specific draft law,” Dalia Sakalauskaitė-Babravičė, an adviser to Health Minister Linas Kukuraitis, said in a response provided to ELTA. She said any bans under consideration would apply only to disposable electronic cigarettes, noting that several other European countries have already prohibited them.

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Currently, the ministry is not preparing any specific draft law. The legislation prepared by individual members of parliament and registered in the Seimas appears to warrant discussion and assessment first, and only then should we consider whether anything additional needs to be prepared.

The government plan also calls for reducing cases of poisoning associated with e-cigarette use by at least 10%. Sakalauskaitė-Babravičė said 974 children and young people sought treatment last year after experiencing health problems following e-cigarette use. She cautioned that the cases were not necessarily connected to disposable products specifically.

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For now, any possible bans would apply only to disposable electronic cigarettes. Several other European countries have also banned them.

The ministry says parents, teachers and medical professionals are increasingly concerned that children begin using e-cigarettes at a very young age. Research cited by the ministry indicates that more children are trying them, and that they are doing so earlier. Disposable products are often the first choice because of their range of flavors, attractive packaging and other features, the adviser said.

The health minister previously discussed the possibility of a government ban on disposable e-cigarettes on the “Lithuania Recovers” podcast. Lithuania already prohibits e-cigarettes and refills with non-tobacco flavors and scents, a restriction that took effect in July 2022. Excise duties on e-cigarette liquid have also increased for several consecutive years.

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Because of the wide range of flavors, attractive packaging and other factors, disposable electronic cigarettes are children’s first choice.