Since the 1er August in Luxembourg, the restrictions for smokers and vapers were expanded in a new anti-smoking law. It incorporates the provisions imposed by a European directive, but also provides for additional measures.
TO LET GO FOLLOWED BY AGGRESSIVE REGULATIONS!
Long accused of being too permissive with the tobacco industry and dragging its feet when it comes to compliance with community rules, Luxembourg has changed its behavior dramatically. Urged by Brussels to transpose its 2014 / 14 / EU directive, the Grand Duchy goes much further in its new anti-smoking law, whose first draft was tabled just a year ago in the Chamber of Deputies, and which has been in effect since the beginning of the month.
Thus, it is now forbidden to smoke on children's playgrounds, but also in open sports arenas when children under the age of 16 are playing sports. The ban has also been extended in private vehicles when children under the age of 12 are on board. Audits along these lines will be added to routine police checks.
The electronic cigarette is subject to the same restrictions. "Official information material is being validated and will be distributed in September to the local authorities, tobacco shops and public places concerned, who request it"Says the Ministry of Health. While fines for non-compliance with these practices will rise from 25 to 250 euros.
«These are positive but difficult to control»Tempers however Lucienne Thommes, the director of the Cancer Foundation. "But the important thing is especially to raise awareness of these risks and empower parents.»
To these bans are added the measures imposed by the directive, such as the obligation for producers to accompany the health warnings on each package of a photo. A phone number to a hotline must also appear on 
packaging.
Small packages are banned, while menthol flavorings added to tobacco are officially banned, even if a three-year compliance period has been granted. The law also provides for the prohibition of the sale of tobacco to less than 18 years, a measure that does not appear in the European directive, but of which Luxembourg is one of the newest countries in Europe, with Austria, to establish.
«The idea is to prevent smoking becoming the norm among young people and to avoid as much as possible passive smoking."Says Lucienne Thommes. "In this sense, these measures are welcome, even if we waited for them more quickly.»
In 2016, 20% of the Luxembourg population smoked, according to the TNS Ilres / Fondation Cancer 2016 survey. Although this figure has decreased in recent years, it has increased by three points compared to 2015 in the 18-24 age group, where it stands at 26%. In Luxembourg, cigarettes cause around 1.000 deaths per year, of which 80 are due to passive smoking.
Source : Paperjam.lu
