Dutch Activists Criticize PMI Herbal Heated Sticks
According to Dutch News, anti-tobacco activists believe Philip Morris International is trying to use its Levia herbal heated sticks to circumvent the Netherlands' ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products. Levia sticks are made from tea leaves rather th
According to Dutch news reports, anti-tobacco activists believe Philip Morris International is trying to use its Levia herbal heated sticks to circumvent the Netherlands’ ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products.
Levia sticks are made from tea leaves rather than tobacco and are classified as herbal products, meaning they are not subject to the country’s tobacco regulations. These heated sticks retail online at €6.60 ($7.21) per pack of 20 and come in two flavors: “island beat” (mint) and the berry-flavored “electro-rouge.”
The Netherlands banned menthol in cigarettes in May 2020 and prohibited the sale of flavored vaping products at the beginning of 2024.
Advocacy group Rookvrije Generatie called Levia “a trick” designed to keep flavored tobacco products on the market. “They may not contain tobacco, but they do contain addictive nicotine,” spokesperson Dave Krajenbrink said.
Lawmakers are reportedly considering an amendment that would extend the flavor ban to smoke-free nicotine products.
