E-cigarette vaping in Germany

In Germany, e-cigarettes are legal and regulated as tobacco products. Online sales of e-cigarettes are legal, and they are widely available in general retail outlets. However, the sale of e-cigarettes through vending machines is banned, and health claims promoting their use are not permitted. Advertising of e-cigarettes is also restricted. Germany imposes an excise duty on e-cigarette products, which amounts to up to 10% of the taxes levied on conventional cigarettes. The country maintains a detailed regulatory framework for the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes. Based on that, notifications of new products are required before market entry, and child-resistant and tamper-proof packaging is mandatory. Health warnings must appear clearly on all packaging. Additionally, sales are limited to individuals aged 18 years and above, and the maximum nicotine concentration allowed is 20 mg/ml. Tank capacity is restricted to 2 ml or less, in accordance with EU regulations. There are currently no restrictions on flavour range, but the use of e-cigarettes is banned in certain public places.
As of 2023, Germany recorded approximately 1.4 million current vapers, representing 2% of the adult population. Adult vaping current prevalence was 3.3% among women and 4.5% among men, while daily vaping prevalence was 0.6%. For reference, in 2017, around 12% of adults reported having tried e-cigarettes at least once. Public perception data from the same year indicated that 54% of respondents considered e-cigarettes harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes, 32% believed they were less harmful, and 14% had no idea.