As part of the EU’s plan for a tobacco-free generation by 2040, the European Commission has proposed a plan to ban the sale of flavored, heated tobacco products. A study from the European Commission, published in June 2022, showed a 10% increase in sales of heated tobacco products, such as vapes, between 2018 and 2020 in more than five member states. Furthermore, heated tobacco products accounted for more than 2∙5% of total sales of tobacco products across the EU. With the majority of lung cancers caused by tobacco, it is hoped that this proposed ban will help reduce tobacco smoking and thus reduce related cancer mortality and morbidity. The proposal is currently under review with EU member states and the European Parliament. Once published, member states will have 8 months to transpose the directive into law, and 3 months before the provisions will start to apply.

Also published in June 2022, an independent review set out an ambitious plan to make England smoke-free by 2030. Some groups have urged the UK Government to implement the recommendations set out in the review and to initiate a national Tobacco Control Plan. The four major recommendations include increasing investment in smoking cessation services, further raising the minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 years, improving smoking prevention efforts within the NHS, and, interestingly, the promotion of vaping as a tool to stop tobacco cigarette smoking. In this review, recommends that healthcare professionals are provided with accurate information on vaping as a substitute for cigarette smoking, but also emphasizes the importance of preventing children and young people from starting vaping.

The US FDA has been granted authority to regulate all vape and e-cigarette products, extending the FDA’s remit to include those products that do not contain tobacco-derived nicotine. Sales of flavored, tobacco-containing vapes were previously prohibited by the FDA, and this new law could further restrict sales of other products.

These are important steps, which hopefully will further restrict the use of tobacco products. We also need to recommend actions in Asia and Africa, two continents where the promotional campaigns of tobacco producers are very aggressive.

You can read the full editorial here.

References

  1. The Lancet Oncology. (2022). Progress on tobacco control and e-cigarettes. The Lancet Oncology, 23(8), 961. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(22)00454-5

Disclaimers

  • The material in these reviews is from various public open access sources, meant for educational and informational purposes only
  • Any personal opinions expressed are those of only the author(s) and are not intended to represent the position of any organization(s)
  • No official support by any organization(s) has been provided or should be inferred