Netherlands. An end to the sale of cigarettes “at a distance”

It is no secret that smoking tobacco products increases the risk of various types of cancer, lung and cardiovascular diseases. According to the Ministry of Health, 20,000 people die each year in the Netherlands due to smoking or passive inhalation of tobacco smoke. people.

From a certain date Netherlands thus becoming a country less and less friendly to smokers. The government has introduced a number of measures to make the Netherlands smoke-free by 2040. For some time, the excise duty on tobacco products has been steadily increasing and, after the last increase in April, the price of a package has increased to around €8. Last year, all cigarette vending machines were also liquidated, and from July 1, the purchase of tobacco products via the Internet or telephone will be prohibited.

From July next year, there will be a total ban on the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, in supermarkets and catering establishments. Ultimately, from 2032, cigarettes will be available only in specialized stores.

This week, the authorities of one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, midwife in the central part of the country, Utrecht, introduced a ban on opening new outlets selling tobacco choices. As explained by the spokesperson of the municipal office, Utrecht wants to prevent the proliferation of shops in this way, in connection with the planned ban on the sale of cigarettes in supermarkets from next year.

“Our goal is that by 2035 all children in Utrecht will be smoke-free and that less than 5 percent of the population will continue to smoke. To achieve this, it is necessary to reduce the number of points of sale,” the office said in a statement.