Flemish anti-cancer organisation Kom Op Tegen Kanker has launched a senseless campaign demanding the Belgian government takes urgent action to clamp down on vaping. It is challenging politicians to take “urgent action to protect young people from vapes” following the screening of a TV documentary titled “Generation Vape”. Needless to say, adult smokers and ex-smokers will be the ones overlooked.
Kom Op Tegen Kanker says: “The massive rise of e-cigarettes among children and young people threatens the ambition to realise a smoke- and nicotine-free generation. Kom op tegen Kanker, together with other health organisations, makes a clear appeal to policymakers: take urgent additional measures to protect our children.
“If we want to prevent even more children and young people being targeted by a ruthless nicotine industry, we must act now.”
The organisation received “limited financial support from the government”, relying on income from donations, legacies and campaigns. Nothing raises money better than a fear campaign – and last year Kom Op Tegen Kanker raised almost €50-million.
Kom Op Tegen Kanker claims vapes are dangerous because teen brains are “extra sensitive”.
It adds: “Their brains are still developing and much more sensitive to the rewarding effect of nicotine. As a result, young people become addicted more quickly than adults. Research shows that nicotine use during adolescence can even lead to permanent brain changes.”
The organisation likens nicotine to “cocaine and heroin”, stating it is “one of the most addictive substances”. It also infers that using nicotine increases the probability of alcohol and drug addiction!
This is the complete opposite of what the UK Royal Society for Public Health says: “RSPH is calling for public confusion over nicotine to be addressed as a way of encouraging smokers to use safer forms of the substance. Tobacco contains nicotine along with many other chemicals, but nicotine by itself is fairly harmless.”
Kom Op Tegen Kanker also claims that vapes contain “unknown harmful ingredients”.
This claim is absolute nonsense as the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) regulates e-liquids by limiting nicotine concentration, container size, and certain ingredients. Regulation covering Belgian vape juices rules out the inclusion of unknown ingredients.
Kom Op Tegen Kanker demands that the Belgian government continues with patches, chewing gum tablets or sprays, and medicines such as varenicline, to regress to the old failing approach before vapes helped millions to quit smoking.
“The new steps (such as the ban on disposable vapes and the display ban ) are good,” says the organisation, “but insufficient. Kom Op Tegen Kanker therefore urges policymakers, together with other health organizations, to:
- Stricter supervision of online promotion and illegal trade
- Limiting flavours that appeal to young people
- Stricter enforcement of the minimum age for sales
- Reduction of availability for minors”
According to the Belgan News Agency, director David Vansteenbrugge said: “It’s a bad evolution that more and more young people see vaping as a stepping stone to smoking. Among the youngest group of smokers, we see that half of them also vape. So, there is a clear link and often a transition from one to the other. This is an industry tactic to breed a new generation of nicotine addicts.”
What is apparent, Kom Op Tegen Kanker cares less about evidence, the truth and helping adults avoid cancer than it does developing fear, spreading misinformation, and raising funds.
References:
- Generatie vape - https://www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/pano/2025-vj-/pano-s2025-vj-a6/

Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.