On Friday 21 June in Luxembourg, the European health ministers discussed the request from a number of Member States for greater protection of young people in the face of new phenomena linked to smoking.
During an ‘other business’ item, Latvia, supported by other countries (see EUROPE 134251/6), raised the issue of new tobacco and nicotine products (NTNPs). Denmark, for its part, has raised the issue of the marketing and sale of these products (https://aeur.eu/f/cs2 ).
The Latvian minister criticised the way in which the flavours and tastes of NTNPs are used to target young people and get them hooked quickly. This is why, he says, “there’s still a lot of work to be done”. The Irish minister called for “a more global approach” and “stricter regulation”.
The European Commission has called on Member States to adopt national rules on e-cigarette flavours, reiterating its goal of a “smoke-free generation by 2040”.
Concerning the dangers of marketing and selling NTNPs for young people, particularly via digital platforms, the Danish minister stated that “national action is not enough”. This is why she has asked the European Commission to update the Tobacco Advertising Directive. The Commission replied that evaluations of the current legislation are underway. (Original version in French by Paul Charles – intern)