Brussels, 04/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - As part of the ongoing inter-institutional dialogue on the tobacco products directive, which has essentially stalled on the nature of electronic cigarettes (see EUROPE 10976), the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) has called for the adoption of the precautionary principle for all devices containing nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes, in the absence of far-reaching health impact studies on the subject. EPHA has published a document in which it recommends the adoption of watertight European legislation for protecting public health. Monika Kosinska, EPHA Secretary General, stated that, “without a robust regulatory framework in place in the EU, e-cigarettes are now hanging in a legal limbo. It is essential that this emerging range of products is urgently regulated to safeguard people's health… To achieve this, Brussels has to make sure that strict rules on advertising and sponsorship as well as market surveillance and monitoring are the corner stones of new legislation, whilst ensuring that the products are accessible to existing smokers”.
EPHA believes that devices containing nicotine, particularly electronic cigarettes, have real potential for helping smokers who are dependent on cigarettes and that they must remain available to smokers. Nonetheless, it is crucial that these devices are not seen as an attractive product to young people and lead to the consumption of other tobacco products. Strict guidelines are therefore necessary to prevent easy access for young people. “Strict marketing limits - similar to tobacco and medicine marketing rules - are essential so that NCPs do not promote smoking”, said Cornel Radu-Loghin of the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), who also highlighted the crucial need to provide guidelines on a fast expanding market. (IL/transl.fl)