On April 15th, British American Tobacco (BAT) and the Romanian National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) launched their annual campaign, “Choose Responsible Pure Business Practices,” aimed at increasing public awareness and compliance with legislation that restricts minors’ access to tobacco and nicotine products. This follows significant legal changes in Romania.
Key Legislative Changes in Romania
- A comprehensive prohibition on selling e-cigarettes to minors, covering all nicotine content levels.
- A ban on the sale of tobacco and nicotine products through vending machines.
These measures position Romania as a leader in tobacco control within the European Union and mark it as one of the first EU countries to implement a total ban on tobacco sales to minors.
Campaign Execution
The campaign will be implemented across roughly 32,000 partner retail locations nationwide and will include promotional activities in outdoor public spaces in central Bucharest. Ileana Dumitru, BAT’s Director of External Affairs for Southeast Europe, emphasized BAT’s commitment to maintaining high trading standards and adherence to all relevant regulations.
Sebastian Hotca, Vice President of ANPC, stressed that the initiative with BAT is designed to educate the public on laws limiting tobacco sales to adults and to monitor compliance effectively. It will also promote public involvement through consumer hotlines for reporting violations.
This joint effort by BAT and ANPC underscores a significant move towards ensuring that tobacco and nicotine products are sold responsibly and only to legally eligible buyers.
