News from Europe - Hungary

[FSimon]

Hello my friends! I have seen no thread covering recent events in Hungary, so if there is one already I apologize, but I couldn't find it.

What's happening is that the Hungarian government is at it again. They just presented a draft bill (T/7404) to the parliament, which is supposed to be their own version of the TPD, but is actually much, much worse.

The bill presents the use of electronic cigarettes as being identical to smoking and allows the usage of such products only in designated smoking areas (which basically sends people who managed to quit back into other peoples smoke...). Furthermore e-cigarettes (we know which types...) and associated products may only be sold in national tobacco stores (no more webshops and stuff) and e-liquid may not contain any flavoring.
So yea if that bill passes, it pretty much means the end of the e-cigarette industry in Hungary and will possibly result in countless lives lost in the future, lives of people who would've had a chance with e-cigarettes.
In the meantime politicians and the media are leading an aggressive campaign against e-cigarettes. Lately there have been tv shows with doctors as guests who describe e-cigarettes as being far worse for your health than traditional cigarettes...

There is a petition on change.org attempting to stop the bill from passing. I'm not sure how a change.org petition can help in times like these, but I'm pretty sure it's better than doing absolutely nothing, so here's the link in case some of you may want to sign it: https://www.change.org/p/magyarország-kormánya-racionális-és-emberi-e-cigaretta-szabályozást
The petition is written in Hungarian, but I'm sure you can use google translate or something to read it. It basically voices the demands of the vaping community towards the prime minister to have the bill in question rejected.

I myself am not from Hungary, so other people might know more about the subject in which case I invite them to feel free and add more information to the thread or correct me if I'm wrong. However I do have friends in Hungary and I thought I'd try to help raise awareness. I mean vapers need to stick together no matter where they live no?

Cheers and thanks for reading!

 

[pennysmalls]

Do we know if this legislation passed?

 

[FSimon]

According to the petition update, any and all attempts at having the contents of the legislation changed to be more 'human' have failed so this will be the final version and is scheduled for voting on the 15th of December.

 

[FSimon]

UPDATE: It looks like the bill has passed in the original form
Vape shops and webshops selling e-cigs have until May 20 next year to close their doors in Hungary.. And from that moment on, only the national tobacco-stores may sell vaping related products.. These shops are controlled by the government with shopkeepers who 'just sell' (don't expect help or information from them) and they only sell WHAT they want.. and for the PRICE they want to sell for, since they will be in entire monopoly. Import of said products is also illegal and customs will most likely catch packages of that nature, so people can't even purchase from international vendors. Furthermore vaping is banned in public and everything mentioned above also applies to nicotine-free juice and all accessories related to products that imitate smoking.
So... things aren't looking bright over there..

 

[Serrin]

Yes, it's passed unfortunately...

 

[nicnik]

Yes, it's passed unfortunately...

Are you going to keep vaping?

 

[Serrin]

I'm keeping vaping surely. I have 8 mods, 3 GT2 tanks and many other devices. Just the coil, cotton and sometimes a new 18650 have are needed. Just because of the expensive liquid from the national tobacco-stores worried.

 

[nebulis]

This limitation to national tobacco shops has been legally challenged and overturned in Austria! I suppose vapers in Hungary know it.

 

[Serrin]

We hope we can overturn, but the Hungarian, illiberal government is making against the changing of this situation. Maybe the EU will help, but on my opinion the government will go to the very end.

 

[Steamix]

That's the problem.
TPD has a lot of 'should' in it. Some EU member states top even that. Tobacco tax is big money. And it doesn't make a difference whether it's EU- or national level : There's always some who aren't averse to contributions to their personal 'retirement fund' in exchange for custom-crafted regulation

To challenge the TPD, it has to be in effect. And a small mom'n pop B&M won't have the spare change to finance a prolonged legal battle.

TW of UK took up the fight.
Austrians succeeded in keeping it from the grubby hands of a state monopoly.

We'll see.

 

[nebulis]

, but on my opinion the government will go to the very end.

... as they seem to do it in everything nowadays ...

 

[nicnik]

I'm keeping vaping surely. I have 8 mods, 3 GT2 tanks and many other devices. Just the coil, cotton and sometimes a new 18650 have are needed. Just because of the expensive liquid from the national tobacco-stores worried.

Are you considering DIY? For me, one liter of 100mg/ml nicotine will last for years.

 

[Steamix]

Well, if push comes to shove, dripping liquid into a toaster is a but unwieldy ( just think of the two mile extension cord ), but it generates vapor just the same.
Gear may get regulated to death, but the simplicity of the principle itself won't stop vaping in itself.
Strip away all the bells and whistles, you'll always be left with an energiy source that creates heat which in turn vaporizes a liquid.
My guess is that the first vapers date back to the bronze age, when some schamans tossed wet herbs into a fire

So trying to regulate that out of exsitence... EU is a bit late - bout 20k years or so

 

[FSimon]

Yes, unfortunately that presents a potential new 'problem'...
You see due to the simplicity of the actual principle I'm afraid many might try to DYI mech mods, which could turn out quite nasty.. Last thing we want at this point is more e-cig accidents on TV.
Other than that they kinda tried to do their part, they even organized a gathering near the parliament building one day before the voting took place. They had a stage with microphones.. lots of nice speeches, they finally said what needed to be said.. (better late than never I guess) and before the event started numerous testimonial videos were played for hours on a huge screen of how vaping saved peoples lives and helped them quit smoking etc. So yea.. kinda hard not to notice, but you know.. politicians can simply act like they have ADD or something

 

[Serrin]

Are you considering DIY? For me, one liter of 100mg/ml nicotine will last for years.

I buy eliquids and make my DIY juice too. (50-50%) I worry about the price of the eliquids really and the about the new vapers, who can buy only the national tobacco shop's cigalikes.

 

[AndriaD]

Hungary's pretty close to Poland, home of Inawera flavors. I'm just hoping that Poland can resist, and Inawera keeps making Shisha Strawberry. Can't live without that stuff!!!

Andria