The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has fiercely criticized the Bulgarian parliament’s decision to enact a complete ban on regulated vaping products. According to the WVA, this restrictive policy – sparked by a tragic fatality linked to an illicit black-market THC vape – will fail to address unregulated products and instead push smokers back to combustible cigarettes.
Bulgaria currently struggles with the highest smoking rate in the European Union, with 37% of its population smoking. Despite vaping being the country’s most popular smoking cessation tool—even though only 3% of Bulgarians currently vape – lawmakers have chosen to eliminate this viable harm-reduction alternative.
Michael Landl, Director of the WVA, declared the ban both irrational and dangerous. “The tragic death of a teenager in Pleven was caused by a black-market THC vape, not legal nicotine products,” Landl stated. “By banning legal alternatives, Bulgaria is opening its doors to more dangerous products flooding the market.”
The WVA highlighted successful harm-reduction models in Sweden, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, which are on track to achieve “smoke-free” status (defined as smoking rates below 5%). In contrast, the WVA warns that Bulgaria’s current trajectory will prevent it from ever reaching this milestone, ultimately serving as a “gift to black-market criminals.
