The government will allow e-cigarettes with nicotine. – Aura Avisa

The government opens to allow the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes in Norway – but will prohibit the use in non-smoking areas.

Consumers will thus avoid having to buy electronic cigarettes with nicotine on the web if Conservatives and the Progress Party gets what they want.

Approximately 50,000 Norwegians smoke today e-cigarettes, according to a note about the tobacco directive as Tuesday to be sent out for consultation. Many people use it as an aid for quitting with regular cigarettes.

But the government will put an end to that e-cigarette smokers can steam on their nozzles in places where smoking ban applies. Today it is up to the owner of the premises to allow or prohibit smoking of e-cigarettes.

The background is a report from the Public Health showing that the nicotine-related dangers of passive damping is the same as for passive tobacco smoking especially for people with cardiovascular disease, children and pregnant women.

– We propose a number of amendments to the Tobacco Act as a result of new EU tobacco directive. This, we are required to follow, said health Bent Høie said.

The directive does not apply to e-cigarettes. Approximately 50,000 Norwegians smoke today e-cigarettes, and many use it as an aid to quit smoking.

– Here we have chosen to propose that both the sale and use of e-cigarettes regulated in the same way as regular smoking tobacco, except when it comes to display ban and standardization of tobacco packets, says Høie.

Cancer Society is wary to allow e-cigarettes with nicotine, partly because it can create nicotine addiction.

– And we know too little about the health consequences in the long term, said Deputy Secretary General of the Cancer Society, Ole Alexander Opdalshei, to TV 2.

Meanwhile, stricter rules for labeling tobacco products. Hereafter warnings cover half of the surface of packs of cigarettes, rolling tobacco and water pipe tobacco. For other tobacco products shall warning covering one third of the surface.

In addition to the usual warning that smoking kills, will all smoking tobacco hereinafter also indicated that “tobacco smoke contains over 70 carcinogen.” (AFP)