According to the Czech news website Expats on October 22nd, Czech Republic will ban the sale of various flavored heated tobacco products in accordance with the European Tobacco Directive.
According to reports, EU member states must incorporate this ban into their legal frameworks from October 23rd. The directive does not provide a transitional period for existing stock. Currently, various flavors of traditional cigarettes have been prohibited for sale, and this ban will also apply to heated tobacco products. Tobacco companies believe that flavored tobacco is highly popular among users and the experience in the United States after the ban was issued suggests that some individuals will revert back to traditional cigarettes.
In response, several manufacturers are introducing new tobacco-free products, including Louis Pounder Tea. They also emphasize that the ban will not be implemented simultaneously in all European countries, allowing consumers to purchase flavor-heated tobacco from abroad.
The primary reason for the prohibition on the sale of these products is their increasing popularity, with some people not considering them harmful. The heating of tobacco is attracting a young non-smoking demographic. According to lung disease experts, the toxic components in the aerosol produced by heated tobacco closely resemble those found in traditional cigarette smoke, including confirmed carcinogens.
Jiří Sochor, a spokesperson for Japan Tobacco International (JTI), has informed the Czech News Agency that more than half of users are leaning towards flavored tobacco. The American ban experience suggests that some individuals will revert back to traditional cigarettes. JTI sells cigarettes, as well as heated tobacco and e-cigarettes in the Czech Republic.
Sokol highlighted that the ban will not take effect simultaneously in all neighboring countries. For example, only Germany has already implemented it, unlike Czech Republic. Consequently, since Poland will implement the ban later, people may choose to purchase flavored heated tobacco products overseas.
He also mentioned that the sale of flavored heated tobacco generates approximately 2.9 billion Czech crowns in consumption tax for Czech Republic annually. According to estimates, the total sales of both flavored and unflavored tobacco amount to around 5.4 billion Czech crowns.
Adam Palovič, Market Manager for Imperial Brands, stated that approximately one-fifth of adult tobacco users exclusively or partially utilize heated tobacco devices.
In response to the ban, major companies are introducing new products. The Empire brand is launching a new e-cigarette in the Czech market.
Similarly, British American Tobacco (BAT) has also introduced tobacco-free nicotine heating products. "This product is made by Louboutin, and it offers a range of intense flavors for adults, which is often a common reason for their choice of alternatives," said Štěpán Michlíček, Director of BAT Czechoslovakia Region Company.
The company also stated that some tobacco companies are opposing the mandatory restrictions imposed by the European Commission, and the existing ban will be reviewed by the European Court to address complaints from an Irish company.
PMI has also launched new smokeless tobacco flavors, such as blueberry. In September, the company announced that around 680,000 users in Czech Republic and Slovakia had used its heated tobacco devices in the first half of this year.
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