Swiss Court Overturns a Ban on E-Cigarettes
Switzerland’s federal court recently decided to overturn a years-long ban on the sale of e-cigarette products. The overturned rule had prohibited the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids, while personal importation for individual use was
The Swiss Federal Court recently ruled to overturn a ban that had been in place for years on the sale of e-cigarette products. The overturned regulation had prohibited the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids, while allowing users to import e-cigarette products for personal use.
The Swiss Federal Administrative Court (FAC) sided with Swiss vaping company InSmoke in opposing the ban. According to Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo, the government had already been working to lift the ban, but the court's ruling immediately ends the restriction on nicotine.
According to Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo, Judith Deflorin of the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) told Swiss Radio and Television (SRF): “Following the FAC’s decision on Tuesday, the import and sale of nicotine-containing e-liquids for e-cigarettes takes immediate effect.”
I’m very happy for my friends in Switzerland
It’s a real shame they had to wait so long and spend so much effort on this, instead of helping more people switch away from cigarettes. (According to the article, e-cigarette users account for only 0.7% of Switzerland’s population, compared with about 5% in France and the UK.)
– Falken Vape (@FalkenVape) April 29, 2018
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union (EU), so it is not bound by the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which governs e-liquid bottle and container specifications as well as nicotine content in the UK, France, Germany, and the other 25 EU member states. According to Swissinfo, there are about 60,000 e-cigarette users in Switzerland, or roughly 0.7% of the country’s 8.4 million population.
Helvetic Vape, a Swiss vaping community, is one of Europe’s earliest e-cigarette organizations, founded in 2013. The group has been highly active in advocating for the government to ease restrictions on e-cigarettes. Helvetic Vape recently released a statement outlining the needs of Swiss e-cigarette companies.
The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO), a global advocacy group, is also based in Switzerland.
The Swiss Federal Administrative Court (FAC) sided with Swiss vaping company InSmoke in opposing the ban. According to Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo, the government had already been working to lift the ban, but the court's ruling immediately ends the restriction on nicotine.
According to Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo, Judith Deflorin of the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) told Swiss Radio and Television (SRF): “Following the FAC’s decision on Tuesday, the import and sale of nicotine-containing e-liquids for e-cigarettes takes immediate effect.”
I’m very happy for my friends in SwitzerlandIt’s a real shame they had to wait so long and spend so much effort on this, instead of helping more people switch away from cigarettes. (According to the article, e-cigarette users account for only 0.7% of Switzerland’s population, compared with about 5% in France and the UK.)
– Falken Vape (@FalkenVape) April 29, 2018
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union (EU), so it is not bound by the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which governs e-liquid bottle and container specifications as well as nicotine content in the UK, France, Germany, and the other 25 EU member states. According to Swissinfo, there are about 60,000 e-cigarette users in Switzerland, or roughly 0.7% of the country’s 8.4 million population.
Helvetic Vape, a Swiss vaping community, is one of Europe’s earliest e-cigarette organizations, founded in 2013. The group has been highly active in advocating for the government to ease restrictions on e-cigarettes. Helvetic Vape recently released a statement outlining the needs of Swiss e-cigarette companies.
The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO), a global advocacy group, is also based in Switzerland.
