The draft law Amendments to the law on the handling of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices and liquids for electronic smoking devices (hereinafter draft law) concerns tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices (nicotine and nicotine-free) and liquids for electronic smoking devices, and the handling of such products.

Draft law: Amendments to the law on the handling of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices and liquids for electronic smoking devices.

The Draft law provides for the following:

1) To ban the use of the national symbols of Latvia, images of private individuals (except those portrayed on combined warnings) and animation characters on the packaging of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices (nicotine and nicotine-free) and their refill containers in order to prevent the facilitation of the use of the aforementioned products and making the products to appear more attractive.

2) To ban the manufacture and placing on the market of sweets, snacks, toys and other enticing products that visually are similar to cigarettes or other tobacco products or electronic smoking devices (nicotine and nicotine-free) and can entice minors to try smoking, or advertise specific tobacco products or their manufacturers.

3) To establish that the requirements for e-cigarettes (with nicotine) and their refill containers in the area of advertising, handling, content displayed on the packaging etc. apply also to electronic smoking devices (nicotine-free) and their refill containers. Until 1 January 2019, electronic smoking devices (nicotine-free) and electronic device containers, which do not meet the requirements of this law, will be allowed onto the market if the respective electronic devices and electronic device containers were produced or released for free circulation by 31 December 2017.

4) At retail outlets to ban the display of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices, refill containers and trademarks. To provide information about the availability and price of the mentioned products at the retail outlet, data sheets will be made available at the customer's request showing the name, price and quantities of the product per packaging unit. The following exceptions to the ban shall apply: 1) tax-free shops; 2) vessels on international routes; 3) retail outlets where only the mentioned products and goods related to smoking (for example lighters, pipes, ash trays) are sold if these retail outlets are located in structurally separate premises with an individual entrance and the mentioned products and trademarks are not visible outside this retail outlet.

5) To impose a ban on the placing on the market of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, e-cigarettes, refill containers and newly introduced tobacco products for which the manufacturer or importer has not provided the necessary information, and also ban them from being placed on the market if the manufacturer and importer have failed to pay for the processing of the provided information as per the price list of the Health Inspectorate.