“The new rules will go into effect on April 23 and follow a study ordered by the health ministry which found that the level of nicotine consumed — even through moderate use — of so-called e-cigarettes exceeds the recommended level established by the European Food Safety Authority.”
The rules are temporary for now, and due to expire October 31st, though they may be extended.
Frankly, we see this as a good sign. As more studies like Italy’s are done on the effects of e-cigarettes, we’re confident they will show that vaping is a safe and effective alternative to traditional cigarettes, and capable of saving a lot of lives and improving overall health. We welcome decision-making around e-cigarettes that relies on study and facts, rather than relying on anti-smoking prejudice and baseless fear.
The sentence at the end of the story seems to sum up that line of thinking:
Several countries, including Colombia, Panama and Uruguay, have banned the smokeless e-cigarettes, with lawmakers insisting there was no proof they helped smokers kick their addiction.
If that truly is the basis for such bans, these governments are missing the point completely. E-cigarettes are not meant, at least not primarily, as a way to quit nicotine. They simply provide nicotine in a form vastly safer than smoking tobacco. Given that there are very few health hazards associate with nicotine itself, there is just no logical justification for banning a device that provides that nicotine without all the harmful effects of the delivery method which is, somewhat hypocritically, still legal in every one of the countries named.
Italy bans minors from buying electronic cigarettes | The Raw Story
Italy Raises E-Cig Age Requirement
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