There's a debate about to erupt in Germany....over e-cigarettes. Currently, you can buy the "liquid" for the e-cigarettes anywhere. Court action is looming in a German federal court in Leipzig, where the judges will decide if the "liquid" must controlled, and thus only available at pharmacy operations.
The vapor unit that you'd buy at the store for smoking....is basically propylene glycol. It's a mixture of a flavor unit (any type you want), a petroleum product, and nicotine. The health guys fighting to make it a pharmacy item....say that it's bad for you to smoke....so the pharmacy is the only option possible for control purposes.
I would imagine that if the petroleum product wasn't involved....then it'd be the same as tobacco, and thus freely sold at any number of local convenience locations.
German newspapers aren't saying much over the odds here. It's a bold new world for the vapor units, and I suspect it could go either way. As for forcing this onto pharmacy operations? It'd probably jump the profit margin of drug stores around Germany by five-percent easily. Some lobbyists pursuing this? It would not surprise me to find some group focused on this and trying to make the case more positive.
So, don't be surprised to wake up in a couple of weeks, to find some German court ruling and a bunch of smokers all grumpy for a day or two over their habit being screwed with once again.
UPDATE: 21 Nov 2014, the court said no.....e-smokes are not drugs. So you can still buy your vapor stock at any store.
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