The plan to tighten state control over the circulation, production, and advertising of all nicotine products in Belarus is to be achieved through legislative changes. A draft law "On Tobacco Raw Materials, Tobacco and Non-Tobacco Nicotine-Containing Products, Electronic Smoking Systems, Liquids for Them, and Tobacco Consumption Systems" has already been created.

This was discussed at the press center of the House of Press. The experts were Anasthasia Kosova, a preventive medicine physician (department head) of the Department of Public Health and Socio-Hygienic Monitoring at the Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, and Inessa Grigoryeva, scientific secretary of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health.

During the preparation of the document, the issue of a complete ban on electronic cigarettes in the republic was discussed. However, this creates a risk of contraband smoking products of questionable quality and safety — as was the case, for example, with alcohol during the "dry law" period.

Therefore, it was decided not to introduce a complete ban, but to restrict and more strictly control the circulation of electronic and tobacco products in the country.

In addition, a ban on any advertising of electronic devices is being introduced — there will be no more images of them in trading and checkout zones and other public places. It is planned to ban the display not only of cigarettes and liquids, but also of smoking devices — such "boxes" and display cases will disappear.

This measure is aimed at reducing the attractiveness of such products for young people through visual impact.

The experts recalled that in Belarus, control over the nicotine content in electronic vaping liquids is carried out — the level is regulated by law, as well as the presence of propylene glycol and glycerin. The composition of flavorings is checked to ensure nothing beyond the permissible enters the products.

Currently, Belarus is actively participating in the development of the "Technical Regulation on Nicotine-Containing and Nicotine-Free Products" for the EAEU countries (including vapes, liquids, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco mixtures). After the regulation is adopted, all liquids entering the market will have to comply with unified international standards, including purity and safety indicators.

In the future, only glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, and nicotine will be permitted in the composition of liquids — no additional additives.

In Belarus, electronic cigarettes of two types are available: closed and open. Closed devices are supplied already with liquid inside or with replaceable cartridges, the contents of which the user cannot modify or change.

However, there are also open devices with a reservoir, where the user can independently add liquid or create their own "cocktails." These custom blends raise the greatest safety concerns, experts noted.

When developing the legislation, the idea of a complete ban on such devices was considered, but experience shows that it is impossible to eliminate the risk entirely. Therefore, additional measures to control and restrict hazardous substances are provided for in the regulations.

Certified products are a guarantee that the buyer receives a product with a specific composition. Those who seek thrills or enjoy experimenting, on the other hand, take serious risks.

The problem is that individual substances used in liquids can be relatively harmless on their own. But when they interact with one another and are heated, they trigger chemical reactions that are destructive to health and even fatal.

All flavorings and aromatic additives have been controlled and certified exclusively as food additives, and there are still no international studies confirming the safety of such substances when heated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) rightly calls smoking the leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity. Despite widespread awareness of the dangers, quitting this habit remains a difficult task for many.