Tobacco
OLAF: Up to France to request help on genuine cigarettes smuggled from Algeria
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) stands ready to assist member states, such as France, in the fight against illicit tobacco trade with third countries, but it’s up to the national authorities to make a request, OLAF told EURACTIV.com. “OLAF will...
JTI boss: EU Scientific Advisory Mechanism could adjust tobacco directive to reality
The next European Commission should enhance its collaboration with the EU’s Scientific Advisory Mechanism (SAM), which would provide bias-free consultancy and eventually adjust the Tobacco Product Directive to the reality, JTI’s Ramunas Macius said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Freedom of marketing and brands remains vital in the 21st century
When consumers make decisions in the marketplace, they are voting with their wallets, writes Yaël Ossowski.
WHO and EU clash with tobacco industry over plain packaging effectiveness
The drive to impose plain packaging on tobacco products, in the hope of discouraging current and potential smokers, has pitted the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU against the tobacco industry.
The EU is no progressive free trader: It’s exporting chronic diseases to Latin America
If the EU truly wants to be the global progressive trading power, it needs to make sure its trade policy does not promote ill-health, and instead makes a real contribution to the SDGs, writes George Thurley.
Andriukaitis: E-cigarettes under thorough scrutiny, and not the way to stop smoking
Electronic cigarettes are currently known for being “less damaging” than traditional smoking but they still cause harm and people should not use them to cut smoking, EU health chief told EURACTIV.com.
Clearing the clouds: Reduced-risk and vaping regulation
Reduced-risk products (RRPs) have the potential to reduce the risk of harm associated with a particular activity or behavior, what about smoking?
Greek court says e-cigarettes do not differ from traditional smoking
A top Greek court has decided that electronic cigarettes should have the same legal restrictions as traditional smoking does when it comes to bans in public places and advertising.
WHO urged to end ‘ineffective’ tobacco plain packaging
The removal of brands from packaging is a "gross violation" of intellectual property rights and has failed to achieve its intended goals, the Property Rights Alliance argues in a letter to the World Health Organisation.
Campaigners tell Austria smoking ban is not ‘freedom of choice’ but a health right
Any visitor from Western Europe who enters a bar or a pizza place in Austria is undoubtedly surprised that smoking on the premises is still tolerated and actively practised.
Australia proves that EU tobacco plain packaging will fail
Plain packaging policy has been unsuccessful in reducing smoking rates and health-care costs in Australia and it will fail to do so in Europe too, writes Sinclair Davidson.
Commission opposes excise tax on e-cigarettes and novel tobacco products, for now
Due to limited data, the European Commission decided to not propose a harmonised approach for excise taxation of e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco products until further information about these products is available.
Commission urges Greece to implement smoking ban in public places
The number of smokers in Greece has decreased the last five years, however, the non-implementation of a smoking ban law in enclosed public places has irritated the population, which calls it “cultural degradation”.
In Focus: Sinclair Davidson on plain packaging
Professor Sinclair Davidson from RMIT University in Australia joins EURACTIV's Brian Maguire to talk about the plain packaging policy for tobacco products introduced in Australia five years ago.
COPD is on the European Commission’s agenda, EU health chief says
Diagnosis tools like spirometry should be promoted in order to monitor lung systems and prevent the spreading of illness like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the second cause of death worldwide, the EU's Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com.
Andriukaitis lashes out at tobacco industry, says it uses ‘tricks’ to bypass legislation
EXCLUSIVE / The tobacco industry is already feeling the pressure from the implementation of EU anti-tobacco legislation and is exploring ways to bypass it and mislead EU consumers, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Commission backs French idea to ban on-screen smoking
The European Commission is supportive of an idea recently raised in France to ban smoking in films in order to make tobacco consumption less glamorous, an EU official told EURACTIV.com.
Patients’ leader: Reimbursed anti-smoking programmes are a way to kill COPD
Stricter rules on smoking, reimbursed anti-smoking programmes and smoke-free public places are among the ways to prevent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from being a public health crisis, says Mikaela Odemyr.
Kadenbach MEP: Tobacco warnings should mention chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Progress has been made on tobacco products health warnings but the next round of graphic labelling should also mention the less-known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which happens to be the second cause of death worldwide, MEP Karin Kadenbach told EURACTIV.com.
Life-threatening lung disease: Europe’s ‘unknown’ killer
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that results in changes in several different parts of the respiratory system and lungs at the same time. But it is far more than just a 'smoker's cough'.
Commission hits back at criticism over tobacco track and trace proposal
The European Commission’s proposal for a tobacco track and trace system is fully in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) provisions, as it gives control over the system to the member states and not the tobacco industry, a Commission spokesperson told EURACTIV.
Swedish snus wants place in EU tobacco directive
Sweden’s moist smokeless tobacco snus, which is currently banned across Europe, is trying to find its way into the EU tobacco directive, with supporters pointing to evidence suggesting it is appropriate for the protection of public health.
Commission: Plain tobacco packaging does not damage the economy
A European Commission spokesperson has told EURACTIV.com that any loss in the tobacco industry’s turnover arising from health warnings or plain packaging should be offset against the cost of treating people with smoking-related diseases.