The Romanian Parliament has recently approved a measure prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, applicable both in physical stores and online. This legislation encompasses electronic devices designed for tobacco heating and disposable or refillable/rechargeable vaping products.
Violations of this law could result in penalties for retailers up to RON 100,000 (approximately EUR 20,000). Moreover, operators and owners of vending machines and proprietors of the premises hosting these machines face potential fines for non-compliance.
The law explicitly forbids the vending machine distribution of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, e-cigarette refill bottles, and tobacco heating devices. It also outlaws selling these items to anyone under 18 years old, as detailed in the legislative text passed by the deputies.
In addition to these measures, the legislation also targets the sale of energy drinks to minors and imposes new regulations on courier services. These stipulations require packages containing tobacco or nicotine products to display a warning label indicating the contents and the necessity of age verification upon delivery.
The legislation further mandates that smoking, including conventional and electronic cigarettes, be banned within educational institutions. Schools must implement specific policies to enforce this rule, with the Ministry of Education playing a pivotal role in defining penalties for violations.
This comprehensive law has been forwarded to President Klaus Iohannis for official promulgation.
