– Now you have different tastes. It is much more accessible and you can do it elsewhere, a bit hidden in a way. It’s much more addictive. At a high school, two girls stand and “vape”. 18-year-old “Mia” says that she smokes e-cigarettes with nicotine daily. She bought them in Sweden. – I found out that I could easily get hold of it from abroad, says “Mia”. LIKE IT: “Mia” and her friend think it’s a great feeling to smoke e-cigarettes, and like it better than smoke and snuff. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news In Norway, it is not allowed to import or sell e-cigarettes with nicotine. It is not illegal to smoke nicotine, but “Mia” wishes to remain anonymous because she does not want to be recognized by people she knows. “Mia” says that she “vapes” everywhere. The fire alarm will not go off unless you blow smoke directly on it. According to her, the smell also disappears relatively quickly. A “THING”: “Mia” and her friend talk about how they found out about e-cigarettes. The friend says that she found out about it on social media and that it was a “thing” there. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news More popular The national tobacco habit survey in 2022 showed that around 4 per cent in the age group 16–24 used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally. In the recent Ung Data survey of more than 25,000 secondary school and upper secondary students from Oslo, a significant increase in use is shown. While 15 per cent had tried e-cigarettes in 2021, the figure has more than doubled to 31 per cent in 2023. – The use of e-cigarettes has increased considerably among young people recently. We also find that use has increased most among girls, but that it is primarily about using e-cigarettes occasionally, says Rikke Tokle at NOVA at OsloMet. She researches youth. There are still many who answer that they have never used e-cigarettes. Whether there is an increase nationally, we do not yet know. “VAPE”: This is what e-cigarettes can look like. Photo: Daniel Leal/Pool / Reuters Becomes legal, but online sales may be banned The implementation of an EU directive, the tobacco directive, will lead to e-cigarettes with nicotine becoming legal to sell, writes department director Erlend Bø in the Directorate of Health in an email to news. The tobacco directive The Ministry of Health and Care informs that in 2016 the Storting decided to repeal the Norwegian ban on e-cigarettes with nicotine and replace it with a registration scheme based on the EU’s tobacco directive. The registration scheme means that all businesses that wish to conduct online sales of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and e-liquid must register via Altinn. A list of registered remote sales points will be published on the Directorate of Health’s website. The tobacco directive was incorporated into the EEA agreement in 2022, and on 2 June last year the Storting approved that the directive should apply in Norway. For the directive to enter into force, the other EFTA countries must also approve it, and approval from Iceland is now being awaited. The ministry expects that the directive will enter into force during this year. There have been exceptions to the ban for people who have a doctor’s note that they should use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. – We are nevertheless aware that young people get hold of and use e-cigarettes with nicotine, and that is something that worries us. State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care, Ole Henrik Bjørkholt (Ap), says that the ministry is working with strict regulations when it comes to sales in Norway. STRICT: State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care, Ole Henrik Bjørkholt (Ap), says that the ministry works with strict regulations when it comes to sales in Norway. Photo: Esten Borgos – To make e-cigarettes less attractive to young people, we will propose standardized packaging and a ban on flavorings for e-cigarettes. A raised age limit, up to 25, and a ban on specific types of e-cigarettes have been discussed. In order to limit minors’ access to e-cigarettes, it is being considered to ban online sales. – The government believes that the ban on online sales, which the majority of EU countries have, is an effective measure that will prevent children and young people from starting to use products that are harmful to their health. On Friday 2 June, a majority in the Storting voted for a ban on selling tobacco products online. The Conservative Party, the Progressive Party, the Red Party and the Liberal Party voted against, says Erlend Svardal Bøe (H) at the Storting. A bill will be presented before the summer, says Bjørkholt. DEMONSTRATED: Protesters outside the White House in 2019 in connection with an earlier proposal to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Photo: Jose Luis Magana / AFP Different risks When using e-cigarettes, a liquid evaporates, and it can be with or without nicotine. – To create this steam, heat is required. This means that substances in the liquid can be converted into new substances that can have harmful effects on health, writes senior researcher Rune Becher at FHI in an e-mail to news. He mentions that nicotine can contribute to addiction and cause health risks in itself. – In addition, there have been reported cases of nicotine poisoning after consuming e-cigarette liquid, especially in young children who may accidentally ingest such liquid, and injuries caused by explosion or overheating of the battery, he says. HARMFUL: Senior researcher Rune Becher at the Institute of Public Health answers in an email to news that using e-cigarettes with nicotine can have the same amount of nicotine as a normal cigarette. Photo: Anders Fehn / news Becher says that when using e-cigarettes with nicotine, the amount of nicotine you get can be the same as regular smoke. But e-cigarettes, on the other hand, can be a health benefit for long-term smokers who are unable to quit using other aids. Becher explains that e-cigarettes reduce exposure to substances hazardous to health compared to regular cigarettes. A new large survey of teenagers in the US shows that “vaping” nicotine can lead to other drug use, including more alcohol consumption and cannabis use.
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More young people “vape”/use e-cigarettes – soon it will be legal to sell in Norway too – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
