Nine out of ten e-cigarettes in Lithuania fail to meet legal requirements

Nine out of ten e-cigarettes available in Lithuania do not comply with legal requirements, according to inspections by the State Consumer Rights Protection Service (Vartotojų teisių apsaugos tarnyba), LRT reports.

Lithuania bans the sale of e-cigarettes with fruit, dessert, and other non-tobacco flavours, as well as the use of sweeteners in such liquids. Despite this, the agency’s checks reveal widespread non-compliance.

Goda Aleksaitė, director of the service, acknowledges that the Lithuanian e-cigarette market is dominated by illegal products. She notes that unpaid fines imposed since 2022 exceed €103,000. “We are constantly in court because almost 100% of our decisions are appealed,” she told LRT radio. “The market is, frankly, dishonest, and businesses continue to violate the law.”

Aleksaitė explains that the inspection process is lengthy. Samples must be sent to laboratories for verification, which incurs costs and takes time. Even with legal evidence, forming a commission and issuing a decision can take several months.

Businesses challenging the agency’s rulings in court often dispute laboratory methods, accreditations, or procedural details. “It happens that for one or two years, the same case is investigated over a single flavour—whether it’s banana, vanilla, or mint. The arguments [from businesses] are just to drag out the process,” she said.

Fines for trade violations were increased in November 2024, rising from up to €2,000 to up to €8,000 for repeated offences. However, Aleksaitė reports that fines remain unpaid, and illegal e-cigarettes continue to enter the market. “Just yesterday, we issued two decisions with fines of €3,000 each. The reality is that fines are higher now, but our experience shows that even after two years of increased penalties, they go unpaid, and illegal products keep appearing,” she said.

Aleksaitė advocates for a systemic solution, including public education on the harms of these products, stricter licensing controls, and even revoking licences for businesses that repeatedly violate the law.

Liberal MP Andrius Bagdonas suggests that the Seimas (parliament) should review fines and other measures for repeated violations during its autumn session. He argues that a total ban may not solve the problem, as illegal trade persists, and that prevention should be prioritised. “If a company repeatedly violates the law by selling products that have been banned in Lithuania for four years, that is a serious offence. Perhaps the law should allow for the revocation of licences to sell such products,” he said.

Saulius Čaplinskas, a Social Democrat member of the Seimas Health Affairs Committee, notes that Lithuania has issued 18,000 licences for trading these products.