Tobacco directive requirements milder than expected

Photo: AFP/SCANPIX

While European Parliament thought it necessary to toughen tobacco rules, overly harsh proposals were voted down in Strasbourg, yesterday. The directive ratified will not ban thin cigarettes nor consider e-cigarettes a medicine. The directive aims at making tobacco products less attractive for youth.

The debate got quite heated in the Strasbourg chamber, yesterday. Many MEPs became exceedingly emotional while describing loved ones losing their lives due to tobacco, underlining that 700,000 people perish in EU due to tobacco, yearly. «That’s an entire Riga!» somebody shouted. Nevertheless, the restrictive directive got its share of criticism as well.

E-cigarette no medicine

Parliament proved unwilling to restrict spreading of e-cigarettes by transferring these into medical products’ jurisprudence.

«E-cigarettes should not be treated as medical devices. E-cigarette may help millions,» said British MEP Chris Davies, who thinks e-cigarette an excellent tool to help quit smoking. «E-cigarettes should be regulated, but purchasing them ought not be harder than that of ordinary ones,» added Mr Davies.

«Should we start to overregulate e-cigarettes, we make life harder for those desiring to quit smoking, and not easier,» said Marina Yannakoudakis, also from UK.

And thus the parliament decided that e-cigarette trade must be regulated, but not according to medicine rules, except when used for treatment. E-cigarette filling liquids not used for treatment may not contain over 30 mg/ml of nicotine and they may not be sold to youth under 18 years of age.

Also, prior to bringing e-cigarettes to a market, producers must provide officials with a thorough overview of the liquid content. E-cigarette advertisements should undergo the same restrictions as other tobacco products.

Tobacco directive rapporteur Linda McAvan, MEP representing UK and soc dems, admitted the aim was not banning e-cigarettes; rather, use of these should undergo strict regulation. She underlined that with e-cigarettes users may fall into an even greater nicotine addiction as in places where smoking used to be prohibited, e-cigarettes would now be puffed.

Parliament also failed to rule out thin cigarettes. Namely, it is not scientifically proven that thin cigarettes are more harmful than ordinary ones. According to Ms McAvan, thin cigarettes come across as elegant and feminine and leave the impression of being less hazardous. Nevertheless, the parliament thinks banning thin cigarettes would be disproportional.

Menthol cigarettes to disappear

Hynek Fajmon, representing Czech Republic, pointed out that with bans and overregulation, black market would unavoidably flourish. Even so, those trying to publicly disparage the directive were accused by many to have fallen victim to tobacco lobby.

«Desiring to limit impact of tobacco, I still do not support all proposals. We want to ban thin and menthol cigarettes, but we have no analysis,» lamented Janusz Wojciechowski, of Poland, adding that nobody would quit smoking, in his opinion, with menthol cigarettes no longer available in stores. Smokers of flavoured cigarettes would just switch over no ordinary ones.

Rapporteur McAvan, however, considers ban of menthol cigarettes and enlargement of warnings on packages a victory. These ideas having been approved by parliament. «Tobacco products must taste tobacco products, and so also to look,» explained Ms McAvan. According to her, black market will be further limited by new means of identification, allowing to determine travel routs of products. 

The rapporteur indeed desired for warnings, in pictures and texts, to cover cigarette packs by 75 per cent, front and back. Still, parliament ruled 65 per cent will be enough. A pack may not contain under 20 cigarettes. According to Ms McAvan, on small packs warnings would simply not show. Also, warning labels must be found on both sides of the packs, to be sure to be notices on store counters.

The current warnings cover minimum of 30 per cent of fronts and 40 per cent of backs of cigarette packs.

«We must put a stop to tobacco companies using beautiful products to lure the youth to smoke,» stated Ms McAvan.