On February 19, 2025, the administration published findings that reflect ongoing concerns about tobacco regulation enforcement in shisha bars.

In 2024, the Belgian Public Health Service inspected 131 shisha bars and discovered that over 80% were non-compliant with regulations.

Specifically, L’Avenir reported that more than 80% of the inspected shisha bars were found to be violating established health regulations.

Additionally, 107 bars were identified as selling non-compliant tobacco products during these inspections.

This highlights significant issues with product conformity among the establishments.

Further violations included non-compliance in the labeling of tobacco products and breaches of the ban on tobacco advertising.

These additional infractions raise further concerns about the overall adherence to tobacco regulations in the industry.

Out of the 131 establishments checked, 106 were reported for violating smoking bans, which restrict smoking to designated outdoor areas or properly ventilated smoking rooms.

The majority of these violations stemmed from failure to adhere to the regulations regarding smoking locations.