EU plans first-ever evaluation of health impacts of e-cigarettes and nicotine products in tobacco directive revision

Key Points:

·Assessment Action: The European Union is planning to assess the health impacts of nicotine-containing products such as e-cigarettes for the first time when revising the Tobacco Products Directive. The assessment will be based on EU-funded research and WHO anti-tobacco principles, with specific methods yet to be determined. 

·Multiple Perspectives: The tobacco industry claims that new products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes and supports third-party independent research. However, the WHO, the EU, and health experts believe that these products are harmful, potentially affecting young people, and advocate for taxation. Health and anti-cancer organizations are calling for regulation of alternative tobacco products. 

·Industry Relations: Tensions between the tobacco industry and the European Commission have escalated due to the EU's proposal to increase tobacco product taxes and include some tobacco tax revenue in future budgets. 

·Taxation Plan: The EU plans to increase taxes on cigarettes and new tobacco products, aiming to include 15% of tobacco tax revenue in the EU budget for 2028-2034.

In a groundbreaking move, the European Commission plans to assess the impact of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and other nicotine-containing products on health for the first time during the revision of the major tobacco directive in 2025, as reported by Euractiv on September 19th. An official from the European Commission revealed that this assessment will be solely based on research funded by the European Fund and will adhere to the anti-tobacco guidance principles outlined by the World Health Organization Framework Convention.

The President of Philip Morris International (PMI) Europe, Massimo Andolina, stated that the group "fully supports in-depth research conducted by independent third-party scientific organizations to validate our claims," but he did not specify which organizations meet this standard.

Currently, it is unclear how exactly the European Commission will conduct this assessment. The tobacco industry claims that new products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but the World Health Organization and the European Union believe that these products are still harmful to health and could potentially serve as a gateway for youth smoking.

Several health and anti-cancer organizations have recently sent letters to European Union member states urging action on alternative tobacco products, arguing that these products pose an "increasingly serious threat" to public health and "encourage" young people to start using nicotine.

At the same time, tensions between the tobacco industry and the European Commission have escalated, with the latter recently proposing an increase in taxes on both cigarettes and new tobacco products. Additionally, Brussels is also planning to include 15% of tobacco tax revenue in the EU's next budget cycle (2028-2034).

European Union Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi pointed out that products like e-cigarettes are extremely popular among young people and pose significant health risks. He stated, "These products are not yet taxed, and I am clearly in favor of them being taxed.