Norway is to lift a ban on nicotine vape products and adopt the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)

Manufacturers of e-cigarettes and new tobacco products must apply for authorisation at least six months before their product is scheduled to be released.

E-cigarette advertisements will now be allowed online and at point-of-sale. Cigarette adverts have been prohibited in the country since 1975.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health will oversee the applications to determine if the product will aid with tobacco harm reduction.

It will also assess whether it’s addictive, appeals to children or will contribute to the initiation and re-normalisation of tobacco.

The Directorate will decide whether approved products will be labelled as a nicotine or smokeless tobacco product or a tobacco product for smoking, as well as how it will be regulated.

Tron Meier, board member of the Norwegian Union of Vapers/Norsk Dampselskap, said:

“Legalising vaping in Norway is a welcoming development and we congratulate our government for aligning with the EU’s TPD. “However, there is still much negative publicity around vaping in the media and many details still to become clear so our welcome must be cautious for now. “There is still more work for us and our ETHRA partners to do.”

André Bendigtsen of tobacco harm reduction group Nikan said: