While the use and sale of electronic cigarettes is legally permitted in the UK, other countries are yet to formally embrace e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Here’s a look at the legal status of e-cigarettes in different countries across the world.
Has Europe taken to electronic cigarettes just as yet? Well, not as whole-heartedly as in the UK. In Denmark, for instance, e-cigarettes are viewed as medicinal products, and require relevant authorization prior to sale and marketing. And while e cigarettes are approved by Italy’s Instituto Superiore di Sanita (Italian National Institute of Health), there is no legislation in place that addresses e-cigs’ liquid content and other aspects, which is also the same for all countries currently. The products are legal for the 18 and above crowd in Latvia and can be sold on the internet while the Netherlands also permits their sale but bans e-cigarette advertisements. In Finland, e-cigarettes without nicotine are permitted but those with nicotine under 10mg can be brought into the country from overseas. For higher nicotine contents, a physician’s prescription is required.
In the US states of Arizona and Washington, sale of e-cigarettes to minors is prohibited, while the same is legal in New Hampshire. Arnold Schwarzenegger, ex-governor of California, had vetoed a state bill that imposed a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, saying that adults should have the choice to decide whether or not they want to use these products keeping associated health risks (if any) in mind. Australia classifies all nicotine products as being ‘poisonous’ though the state of Victoria permits the import of e-cigarettes purchased on the internet.
Non-nicotine electronic cigarettes can be advertised and sold in Canada, while those with nicotine are forbidden. Use and sale of e-cigarettes is legal in China while Switzerland allows the same only for non-nicotine electronic cigarettes.
