Belgium seizes over 140,000 illegal disposable vapes in 2025

Belgium’s Federal Public Health Service has seized 140,019 disposable vapes since the start of 2025, the authority said on Tuesday. The crackdown follows a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, which came into force on 1 January.

Inspectors say they have taken a “significant amount” of illegal products. Fines for selling disposable vapes can reach €120,000, but in practice usually range from €800 to €1,000. Shops can also be temporarily closed.

So far this year, nearly 600 official reports have been filed and 18 shops have been shut. Inspectors carried out almost 2,400 checks at day and night shops, newsagents, petrol stations, supermarkets and online stores. Illegal vapes were found in 680 cases.

Brussels had the highest rate of violations, with illegal vapes found in nearly 60% of inspections. In Flanders, one in five shops checked was selling disposable vapes illegally, leading to several closures across the region.

^{© Patrick T. FALLON / AFP}