Key Takeaways
- Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke called the tobacco industry “criminal” and said it has “no future.”
- Belgium banned cigarette and vape sales in supermarkets in April 2025.
- The Constitutional Court ruled the supermarket ban discriminatory because it treated large and small shops differently.
- The court ordered the government to lift the ban or draft non-discriminatory legislation by the end of 2026.
- Vandenbroucke said Belgium will continue tighter regulation of flavored vapes and nicotine products.
2Firsts, May 7，2026
According to Brussels Signal, Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke called the tobacco industry a “criminal” sector and said it has “no future.”
The minister made the comments on VRT
Vandenbroucke made the remarks during a talk on Ter Zake, a current affairs program on public broadcaster VRT. During the program, he defended the government’s stricter regulations on flavored vapes and nicotine products, while acknowledging that a constitutional court ruling had derailed his plans to reduce tobacco accessibility.
Belgium had banned cigarette and vape sales in supermarkets
In April 2025, Belgium banned the sale of cigarettes and vapes in supermarkets, restricting tobacco products to specialist shops and newsagents in an effort to curb impulse purchases.
The report said the measure was part of a broader strategy to reduce smoking rates. Smoking rates in Belgium have fallen from 24% in 2004 to 12.8% today. However, vaping among 15- to 24-year-olds has risen to 17%, which Vandenbroucke called “a complete policy failure.”
Constitutional Court found the supermarket ban discriminatory
In April, Belgium’s Constitutional Court ruled that the supermarket ban was discriminatory because it allowed sales in small shops while prohibiting them in larger retailers.
Court ordered the government to revise or lift the ban
The court ordered the government to either lift the ban entirely or draft non-discriminatory legislation by the end of 2026.
The report said Vandenbroucke’s team did not fight the ruling and instead reinstated supermarket sales while continuing to push ahead with a ban on flavored vapes. The decision has angered public health advocates and small retailers.
Minister said anti-smoking progress had returned to square one
Vandenbroucke told Ter Zake that Belgium had made real progress, including fewer sales points, no cigarettes at festivals and no vending machines. But he said the court ruled that the government could not treat big and small shops differently, leaving the policy “back to square one.”
Minister called the tobacco lobby a “criminal industry”
Vandenbroucke sharply criticized the tobacco lobby, calling it a “criminal industry” that “has no place in our future.”
He accused manufacturers of deliberately hooking a new generation on nicotine through flavored vapes, which he described as “a rapidly advancing epidemic.”
Minister said vaping is the old tobacco industry repackaged
Vandenbroucke said vaping is “the old tobacco industry repackaged.” He said companies are targeting children with strawberry, apple and raspberry flavors and making them believe vaping is harmless. He said this must be stopped not only in Belgium but across Europe.
Belgium is part of a wider EU push against flavored nicotine products
The report said his comments echo a growing European Union-wide push to ban flavored nicotine products, with Belgium positioning itself as a key player in the campaign.
The report said critics argue that measures such as banning flavors while allowing supermarket sales do little to protect youth when illicit markets thrive.
Small retailers criticized the policy reversal
Small shopkeepers and newsagents were angered by the change. The report said they had complied with the original ban and now see the decision as unfair competition. One Brussels vendor told Ter Zake that they followed the rules, hid cigarettes and stopped selling vapes, only to see supermarkets get a free pass.
Teacher said students buy disposable vapes from questionable websites
A Brussels teacher said many students have disposable vapes from questionable websites.
The teacher said the products are cheaper and more accessible, with unknown contents, while shops that follow the rules are being punished.
Image Source:Brussels Signal
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