BfTG: “Political blunder”: Association criticizes Health Minister Philippi’s call for a ban on flavourings

Die Tabak Zeitung // The latest calls by Lower Saxony’s Health Minister Philippi for a ban on flavors in e-cigarettes have been met with harsh criticism from the Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment (BfTG). The association warns against weakening e-cigarettes as an effective means of minimizing harm to adult smokers and ignoring the successes of other countries. Bans would only benefit the illegal trade.

“A flavor ban would be a political mistake that would prevent smokers from switching to significantly less harmful alternatives,” explains BfTG Managing Director Philip Drögemüller. “In fact, such a ban would be tantamount to a complete ban on e-cigarettes. Flavors are crucial for smokers to quit tobacco permanently. Banning them will drive people back to smoking or into the black market.”

“Germany should finally have the courage to take harm-reduction-oriented paths instead of making legal alternatives more difficult for adult consumers,” continued Drögemüller. “The illegal market already accounts for around 40 percent of the total market – and is growing wherever there are excessive bans, as the example of the Netherlands shows.”

A ban on flavors in e-cigarettes has been in force in the Netherlands since January 1, 2024. The consequences are clear: the regulated specialist trade has been massively weakened, while the black market has grown considerably. At the same time, both vaping and smoking rates among young people have risen.