Doctors demand action from Snapchat against vape dealers

10 June 2025

In an urgent letter, medical doctors in the Netherlands call on Snapchat to protect children from the distribution of vape-related content on the platform. Youth Smoking Prevention threatens legal action if Snapchat does not meet the requirements within two weeks.

By the web editors

In an urgent letter addressed to Snapchat Dutch office that was sent on Thursday, Youth Smoking Prevention, together with Vapen #jouwkeuze (Vaping #yourchoice), the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek cancer hospital (AVL) and the Health Funds for a Smoke-Free Netherlands (the joint foundation of Dutch Cancer Society, Dutch Heart Foundation and Lung Foundation Netherlands), ask Snapchat to stop distributing content promoting vape-use and the promotion of illegal vape-sales.

In the letter, drawn up by lawyers Laura van Gijn and Sietske de Boer of De Roos Advocaten en Notariaat, the American tech company is accused of doing too little to prevent Dutch youth from being exposed to vape dealers and vapes adverts. The letter refers, among other things, to Snapchat’s obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union. One of the DSA’s spearheads is protecting minors from online risks. Violations can lead to high fines, up to 6 percent of global annual turnover.

Vape dealers active on Snapchat

“Snapchat is extremely popular among teenagers and is abused by sellers to promote vapes,” says lung specialist Wanda de Kanter, chair of Youth Smoking Prevention. “This is unacceptable.” Lung pathologist Danielle Cohen of the LUMC and lung specialist Frank Borm (AVL), founders of the Vaping #yourchoice teaching package, are joining the campaign. Cohen: “Snapchat is the place for vape dealers to reach young people, children tell us. We see that more and more young people are becoming seriously addicted to nicotine through these products. With major consequences for their mental and physical health.”

In a video, pupils aged 12 to 17 explain how easily they manage to get hold of vapes via Snapchat, where dealers are easy to recognise. These are usually young people of their own age. The teenagers share stories of dealers with each other and sometimes get a discount if they do. The video clearly shows how much Snapchat facilitates the illegal trade in disposable e-cigarettes with flavors.

Addicted in no time

Snapchat is thus fueling a vaping epidemic among young people that began to take shape around 2021. The Trimbos Institute’s Student Monitor showed that in 2023, a quarter of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16 had already tried a vape. 14.3 percent used an e-cigarette in the past month and 4.0 percent did so daily.

Disposable vapes with flavors have been banned in the Netherlands since January 1, 2024. However, they are still frequently offered under the counter and in the illegal circuit. The vapes contain more and more liquid and concentrations of nicotine that far exceed the legal limit of 2 mg/ml. Children who try such a vape are addicted in no time. Because they continuously take puffs, they ingest enormous amounts of nicotine, which is harmful to the growing brain and causes concentration and memory problems. It was recently announced that five young people were on the brink of death due to vaping. Four had to be put into an artificial coma to survive.

Measures within 14 days

The doctors demand that Snapchat confirms in writing within 14 days that it is taking effective measures to ban vape-related content from the platform, provides full transparency about the steps taken and provides data that prove that the measures are working. If Snapchat does not respond or does not respond sufficiently, Youth Smoking Prevention threatens to file formal complaints with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) and the European Commission.

In the picture LTR: Wanda de Kanter, Laura van Gijn, Sietske de Boer, Frank Borm, Danielle Cohen (foto: Karen Veldkamp)

Digital Services Act | social media | Snapchat | vape hype