From 2025, Latvia will stop selling tobacco products and their substitutes (for example, vapes) to those under 20 years of age. So far, according to the law, tobacco can be purchased from the age of 18, EuroPulse reports.
For smoking, young people under 20 risk a fine of up to 15 euros. A similar fine is provided for purchasing or possessing tobacco and its substitutes.
Sellers, in turn, can be fined from 280 to 700 euros, and a legal entity — from 700 to 7,100 euros.
The new rules also prohibit the sale of “flavored” e-liquids. From January 1, 2025, only liquids with the smell and taste of tobacco will be on store shelves.
Smoking is a common cause of premature mortality in the EU, killing 700 thousand people every year. Countries are resorting to different ways to reduce the number of smokers — for example, in the Netherlands they plan to ban filter cigarettes, and in Belgium, supermarkets will stop selling tobacco products from 2025.