Tobacco & Alternatives Archives

The European Commission is calling for stricter actions on tobacco regulations in a bid to have a tobacco-free generation in the EU by 2040. However, the global number of smokers continues to grow.

A European Commission report referencing the potential for electronic cigarettes to fall under pharmaceutical legislation has heated up the long-running debate over the health effects of these novel products.

E-cigarettes “undoubtedly” reduce risks compared to traditional cigarettes and have a place in the EU's plan to fight cancer. However, these products should not enjoy “lighter” regulation and Europe should treat them with the same vigilance as tobacco products, MEP Michèle Rivasi told EURACTIV in an interview.

Electronic cigarettes and novel tobacco products have emerged as alternatives to cigarette smoking, which is responsible for nearly 700,000 deaths every year in the EU.

EU member states will ask the European Commission this week to place novel tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products under the EU Tobacco Excise Directive, meaning they would be taxed just like traditional tobacco products, according to draft Council conclusions seen by EURACTIV.com.

Smoking can make people more susceptible to serious complications from a coronavirus infection, the European Union agency for disease control said on Wednesday (25 March), citing scientific studies, although available data is still limited.

New novel tobacco and nicotine products are “harmful” according to a new report released from the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), who represent national medical associations across Europe. The report, which was published on 16 November, says that the CPME …

While Germany is being branded a 'developing country' in terms of tobacco regulation, experts warn that a new wave of cancer illnesses may be related to the consumption of E-cigarettes. EURACTIV Germany reports.

In 2016, the deaths of 1.2 million Europeans under 75 were considered premature and could have been prevented, according to a report by Eurostat. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.

The newly elected center-right government (New Democracy-EPP) in Greece has vowed to implement a smoking ban in enclosed public places, which has existed since 2008 but never took effect.

There is general agreement that smoking is one of the worst things one can do for one's health. But when it comes to alternatives like electronic cigarettes, the debate continues to divide stakeholders and policymakers.

The much-awaited EU tobacco track and trace system will be fully functional in "maximum one year" after its official launch due on 20 May, a European Commission official told EURACTIV.com.

EU member states have not yet taken the necessary measures from the Tobacco Product Directive II to implement a track and trace system for tackling illicit tobacco trade, which risks creating disruptions in the single market, EURACTIV has learnt.

Smoking is a form of slavery and is completely incompatible with widely recognised human rights, activists against smoking have said. They also criticised the so-called novel tobacco products for muddying the waters with the claims of being "much less harmful". EURACTIV.com reports from Bucharest.

Electronic cigarettes should be seen as a normal consumer product and not be regulated under the Tobacco Products Directive, according to Giovanni Carucci, vice president EU affairs at British American Tobacco (BAT).

In an interview with EURACTIV.com, Dr Vera Luiza da Costa, the Head of Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has lashed out against the tobacco industry, saying that with its push for electronic cigarettes the trade “just changed clothes while the content remains the same.”

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis accused the country’s socialist government on Tuesday (26 March) of failing to inform citizens about tobacco-related risks and ignoring prevention as a tool against smoking. EURACTIV.com reports from Bucharest.

The next European Commission will propose strengthening tobacco regulations, based on a report showing how the Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) works in practice, the EU Commissioner responsible for health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Halting the spread of tobacco “epidemic” worldwide is a human right, which global leaders should recognise as such and take particular measures in this direction, public health activists told EURACTIV.com ahead of an anti-tobacco conference in Bucharest next week.

Tobacco consumption is the most significant cause of premature death in the EU, according to the European Commission. It is responsible for nearly 700,000 deaths every year.

The European Commission’s recent statement comparing electronic cigarettes to “poison” has prompted a strong reaction from stakeholders, who accused the EU executive of disregarding scientific evidence.

The European Commission is "reluctant" to sit with the tobacco industry at the same table to discuss novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, a high-ranking EU official has said.