Supporters of the ban argue they pose a danger to youth health due to their highly addictive nicotine content and the range of flavours that they state make addiction easier.
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This is part of the EU’s push to bring tobacco consumption down from 25 percent to 5 percent. An official survey by Belgian Health Interview found the share of the smoking population had decreased from 25.5% in 1997 to 15.3% in 2018, with a 2023 survey expected to show a further decline.