The Seimas has approved amendments to the Law on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products proposed by the Ministry of Health, aimed at strengthening support for people who want to quit smoking.
The amendments introduce a requirement for tobacco products, smoking herbal products, electronic cigarettes and their refill containers to carry information about available smoking cessation support, including telephone numbers, email addresses or websites providing information to help consumers quit smoking.
People should have access to information about free services that can help them quit smoking and change their habits. This approach is recommended by the World Health Organization and has been adopted in many European countries. We hope that accessible information will encourage people to use these free services, helping to reduce nicotine dependence and the harm caused by smoking
Ignas Rubikas, Deputy Minister of Health (in picture).
Under the amendments, tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and their refill containers, smoking herbal products and novel tobacco products will not be allowed on the market unless information about them has been published on the website of the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department and six months have passed since its publication.
The amendments also require retail outlets to provide information about the health risks of tobacco use, available smoking cessation support and the ban on selling tobacco products to people under the age of 18.
Legal entities and branches of foreign legal entities that fail to comply with certain requirements will face fines ranging from EUR 289 to EUR 1,448.
The amendments to the Law on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products will enter into force on 1 May 2027.
