Flavoured cigarettes and those in slim packets are no longer available on the market, as stringent regulations controlling the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products have come into force.
The new rules, which came into effect yesterday, apply to all EU countries and are aimed at making smoking less appealing to young people in an attempt to cut down the number of smokers as part of the EU Tobacco Products Directive of 2014.
According to the Health Ministry, from 1999 and 2013, 396 men and 111 women died as a result of smoking.
The regulations focus mainly on the products’ specific characteristics, and how their addictiveness negatively impact the health of those making use of them.
Warnings must include the words ‘Smoking kills’ and the message ‘Tobacco smoke contains over 70 substances known to cause cancer’
Cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco – which come in an assortment of flavours such as fruit, menthol and vanilla – are now banned, as are products which contain additives in quantities that could significantly increase toxic or addictive side-effects.
The new legislation also sets the minimum dimensions required for the health warning on packaging. The new regulations stipulate that picture and health warnings must cover 65 per cent of the front and back of packages.
Warnings must include the words ‘Smoking kills’ as well as the information message ‘Tobacco smoke contains over 70 substances known to cause cancer’.
Other products such as pipe tobacco, cigars and cigarillos must also carry both a general warning and an additional text warning. Cigarette packs must now have a cuboid shape and contain a minimum of 20 cigarettes, while slim packs, often targeted at young women, will not be available. Small packets will also be removed from the market, as the European Commission considers these to appeal to young age groups who may have limited spending power.
The EU directive also lays down monitoring and reporting requirements for e-cigarettes. Manufacturers must now notify member states of all products they place on the market and report annually to them on sales volumes, consumer preferences and trends.
Member states will now also be tasked with monitoring the market for any evidence that electronic cigarettes lead to nicotine addiction or to tobacco consumption, especially in young people and non-smokers. A report on these findings will be presented to the European Parliament by the European Commission in five years, the Commission said.
Electronic cigarettes will now be subject to a number of safeguards – mainly that these must have a maximum concentration of nicotine of 20 mg/ml and a maximum single use cartridge size of 2ml.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said the new measures would help the public take informed decisions about the products, based on information about the consequences of consuming tobacco products.