European Commission Proposes Ban on Flavored Heated Tobacco Products
On June 29, the European Commission proposed banning flavored heated tobacco products. The move is part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5 percent of the EU population by 2040. EU Health Commissioner Stella Ky
On June 29, the European Commission proposed a ban on flavored heated tobacco products.
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This move is part of the European "Beating Cancer Plan," which aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the EU population by 2040.<\/span><\/div>
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EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stated: "Many lung cancers are caused by tobacco, and we want to reduce the appeal of smoking as much as possible to protect the health of our citizens and save lives."<\/span><\/div>
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According to EU data, cancer is the second leading cause of death among the EU's 450 million residents, with approximately 1.3 million cancer deaths and 3.5 million new cases each year.<\/span><\/div>
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Kyriakides emphasized that regulators need to "keep up" with new developments to "address the influx of new products on the market."<\/span><\/div>
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A recent report indicated that from 2018 to 2020, sales of flavored heated tobacco products increased by 10% in over five EU countries. Overall, these products accounted for more than 2.5% of total tobacco product sales in the EU in 2020.<\/span><\/div>
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The Commission and Parliament will debate the proposal before it takes effect 20 days after being published in the official gazette. EU countries will have eight months to transpose the directive into national law, with three months before the regulations come into force.<\/span><\/div>
