Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Latvia

12th January 2024: Latvia: Yesterday (11th January), the bill amending the law on the circulation of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, electronic smoking devices and their liquids was passed on its final vote. Among other measures, the bill raises the age limit for the purchase of heated tobacco and nicotine pouches from 18 to 20. It also bans the use of flavours in nicotine pouches. The new restrictions will enter into force on 1st January 2025. From 1st August 2024, heating devices and nicotine pouches will be subject to the same restrictions applicable to tobacco products.
24th October 2023: Latvia: The bill amending the law on the circulation of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, and electronic smoking devices and their liquids is expected to be passed by the end of the year, press reports. Among other measures, the bill raises the age limit for the purchase of heated tobacco and nicotine pouches from 18 to 20. The press service of the Saeima (the Latvian parliament’s lower chamber) has previously said that this ban would enter into force on 1st January 2025.
29th June 2023: Latvia: The Ministry of Health has confirmed to TobaccoIntelligence that the current regulatory framework does not cover heated herbal products. However, a bill currently going through Parliament would bring them under the scope of the law on tobacco and e-cigarette products, making them subject to certain restrictions if eventually passed.
15th June 2023: Latvia: A new amendment has been made to the bill amending the law on the circulation of tobacco products, herbal smoking products, and electronic smoking devices and their liquids, press reports. The amendment, which was approved on Tuesday (13th June) in the third reading of the bill, raises the age limit for the purchase of heated tobacco products from 18 to 20. The press service of the Saeima (the Latvian parliament’s lower chamber) has said that this ban will enter into force on 1st January 2025. The minutes from the reading have not been published yet.
4th May 2023: Latvia: A bill to ban heated tobacco flavours, implementing an EU delegated directive, will be debated by the Saeima (parliament) on 11th May. It is expected to be passed before the European Commission’s 23rd July deadline.
2nd March 2023: Latvia: A bill to ban flavours in heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, and prohibit their sale to under-20s, has been approved at its second reading by the Social Affairs Committee. It has now to be approved at two more readings by the Saeima (parliament). Proposed amendments may be submitted until 2nd May before the bill’s next Saeima reading.
31st January 2023: Latvia: The State Revenue Service has told TobaccoIntelligence that excise duty on heated tobacco products brought in €5,427,000 in 2020, €10,022,000 in 2021, and €10,479,000 in 2022. Revenue on nicotine pouches, which are taxed as tobacco substitutes, was €602,000 in 2021, and €1,690,000 in 2022; they were not subject to excise duty in 2020.
10th January 2023: Latvia: The excise tax rate on both heated tobacco and nicotine pouches increased on 1st January to €218 per kg.
31st October 2022: Latvia: The deadline for sending comments relating to the bill amending the Tobacco Act is today, 31st October. The regulation equates e-cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes to tobacco products. The bill was approved in its second reading earlier this month and in the coming months the third and final reading is expected to take place.
14th October 2022: Latvia: Yesterday, the Saeima (Latvia's parliament) approved in a second reading a bill amending the Tobacco Act. The regulation equates e-cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes to tobacco products. Proposals can be submitted until 31st October, and it is expected that in the following months the third and final reading will take place.
3rd October 2022: Latvia: Parliamentary elections took place on 1st October, with the centre-right coalition alliance, New Unity, obtaining the largest number of votes, press reports. New Unity, to which the current prime minister belongs, obtained 18.97% of the votes. It is likely that other alliances such as the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) or the centre-right National Alliance (NA) will join New Unity in the government. Therefore, since it is likely that the same alliance will run the country, no big changes are expected to the tobacco policy.

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