Minors in Cyprus have access to nicotine-free cigarettes, as there appears to be ambiguity in the 2017 legislation on tobacco control.
Such nicotine-free vaping products are easily accessible, placed on kiosk stalls next to the cash register, and separated from other tobacco products. They can also be found in cafes.
They are characterized by attractive packaging with attractive colors and a variety of fruit flavors.
As Phileleftheros has been informed, the Cyprus Addiction Prevention Authority wrote to the Legal Service a year and a half ago requesting an opinion on the new nicotine-free tobacco products but received no reply.
However, based on data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), it appears that 16-year-old students in Cyprus in 2019 reduced the use of conventional cigarettes and switched to new tobacco products, such as hookah and e-cigarettes.
In terms of hookah smoking, Cyprus is in second place. At the top is Monaco with 25%. Cyprus, Germany and Montenegro follow with 21%, followed by Bulgaria with 19%.
At the same time, it was revealed that the daily use of e-cigarettes by students in Cyprus stands at 4.6%, while the average is 3.1%.
