“The European “Beating Cancer” plan consists of creating a “tobacco-free generation” where less than 5% of the population will use tobacco by 2040” according to the European Commission.
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to ban the sale of flavored versions ofheated tobaccowhich is marketed in stick form to compete with e-cigarettes.
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The proposal does not concern electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, said a spokesperson for the European executive, Stefan De Keersmaecker. “The banning of flavorings for these liquids is a decision to be taken by Member States, it is not covered by our proposal today“, he added.
This targets a new type of tobacco-based product that is enjoying increasing success, particularly among young people. Launched by the industry in response to the success of e-cigarettes, it uses a so-called “heatedof tobacco, supposed to limit the harmful effects related to combustion and the smoke it releases. And as for vaping, this tobacco is available in different flavors, cherry or menthol for example.
But the Commission notes that theheated» nevertheless aims to release nicotine, and causes the emission of other chemicals potentially harmful to health.
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Sales up
The idea is therefore to introduce stricter legislation in the Member States to discourage this new form of smoking. “Nine out of ten lung cancers are caused by tobacco, we want to make smoking as unattractive as possible to protect the health of our citizens and save lives“, justified in a press release the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides.
“To achieve this, it is essential to take stronger measures to reduce tobacco consumption, (…) and to keep pace with developments to cope with the constant flow of new products coming onto the market – which is particularly important to protect young people“, she added.
Sales of “heated tobacco productswas the subject of a European directive in 2014 setting the legislative framework on the territory of the Union. But the developments noted on this market authorize the Commission to modify this framework.
On Wednesday, the EU executive highlighted the fact that sales of this type of product have increased in volume by 10% or more in at least five EU countries, the minimum required to toughen the legislation.
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According to the Commission, sales even exploded in several Member States between 2018 and 2020, such as in France (+406%), Portugal (180%) and the Netherlands (153%). The Commission’s proposal will now be examined by a committee of experts from member countries. To oppose it, the States will have to gather a qualified majority (55% of EU countries representing at least 65% of the total population of the EU).
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