Following concerns raised by parents and educators, Estonian Labour and Health Minister Pip Petersen (SDE) has pledged to take quick steps to ensure fewer new tobacco products, such as single-use flavoured e-cigarettes, end up in underage in human hands.

The purchase of flavored vaping liquids and other products from outside Estonia has been banned since 2019, but it was initially unclear whether the ban would apply to the separate sale of flavored additives used in e-cigarettes.

In practice, the restrictions have not worked as they should, and disposable e-cigarettes have become increasingly popular and can also be purchased from abroad, the report said.

Social Affairs Minister Pip Peterson (SDE) said he had no influence over the vaping paraphernalia that entered the country, even in the case of prohibited items, which he said was a classic role of customs inspection and control of commerce at the border .

Meanwhile, Eerik Heldna, head of the customs department at the Tax and Customs Board (MTA), said the group intercepts illegal tobacco products entering Estonia on a daily basis.

However, that doesn't mean more people won't pass.

Border checks: Certainly not a comprehensive solution to social problems, Heldner said. In this case, customs confiscate 100% of illegal goods, no matter what the goods are, it will not appear anywhere in the world, and demand-side measures are the key.

Still, Peep Peterson said the MTA could be successful in curbing the proliferation of tobacco products, and Estonia's southern border with the EU and Schengen zone country Latvia could become more prominent given the near-closed eastern border with Russia.

The minister said: "If this closure is to be implemented at the southern border in connection with the Ukrainian war, then the MTA may also have to monitor more carefully what is being transported.

Most illicit new tobacco products come from another EU country, Heldna said, adding that EU-level restrictions, such as those on heated tobacco products, would help for this reason.

"Any EU-level measures of this kind that start to undercut this market, especially among young people, will be welcome. They will make a big difference to this, not just one successful procedural move or another." Heldner said.

Under current EU law, the ban on flavored cigarettes removes menthol cigarettes and similar products from the Estonian market, but does not extend to flavored liquids used in e-cigarettes, possibly because e-cigarettes help people quit smoking theory.

Peterson said, although he added that flavored liquids used in e-cigarettes can also be addictive, just like single-use e-cigarettes.

The Ministry of Social Affairs may soon introduce more legislation to tackle the problem of single-use e-cigarettes, which has them concerned about their potential appeal to minors - who have been accused in some cases of picking up discarded vapes Electronic cigarettes - cigarettes and using them.

The minister said: "In theory, the decision to ban single-use e-cigarettes or vaping is already on the table, with no fault of the retailer and good at checking the age of customers when appropriate.

Measures could include retailers having to take back used e-cigarettes, although there are also environmental considerations when it comes to disposal.

The market for disposable e-cigarettes is also booming, with sales of personal-flavored e-cigarettes in Estonia increasing from 2.5 million in 2020 to 35 million last year in areas such as refreshing flavors, according to the ERR report.

Another issue is lobbying, personified in Riigikogu by Isamaa MP Tarmo Krussimäe, who proposes several bills each year to reduce restrictions and excise taxes, mostly with arguments (also supported by some empirical data) that not doing so would lead to a thriving black market.

The fact that vaping products can be ordered online is a difference between it and classic tobacco smuggling, MTA's Eerik Heldna added,

Perhaps in the entire alternative tobacco economy, distributed, individual-based ordering systems are of course far more important, Heidna said.

The MTA continues to focus on inspecting sanctioned shipments arriving at the border for now, Heldna said.

During the summer season, retailers of flavored vaping additives asked for extra time to deal with the looming restrictions, and subsequently clarified that the 2019 ban on flavored vaping products includes flavored additives.

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