Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov: Vapes should be banned in Bulgaria

Vapes should be banned in our country. How many more things need to happen for us to understand that this is dangerous and cannot go on? Not only vapes, but also narcotic substances – this is a huge scourge, and the sooner Parliament passes a ban, the better. This was commented by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Borislav Gutsanov, in the corridors of the Parliament, regarding the legal changes proposed today by GERB-UDF, which aim to ban vapes and the sale of energy drinks to people under 18 years of age.

The minister also believes that stricter control over energy drinks is necessary. "So much has happened within just one month for us to understand that these are the problematic things," he noted. "Can we lose our children this way?" Gutsanov asked.

Regarding the idea of the Parliamentary Group "BSP - United Left" for a cap on the markup of basic food products, he pointed out that it has not yet been discussed with the government partners. "This is an initiative of the parliamentary group, but I believe that, given the difficult situation we are in, it is a relevant proposal," the minister commented. He also noted that such practices are being implemented in other European countries. "We cannot see abuses and remain silent," Gutsanov emphasised.

We are not talking about production, but about overcharges, the proposal will be discussed in the Parliament. This is how Gutsanov commented on the words of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, according to whom direct state intervention in the market of goods is unacceptable, but this does not exclude control mechanisms.