Flavours matter. We know this from our experiences with ice cream, food, and even alcohol. Adults enjoy flavours, and the same applies to nicotine products. Yet, the EU is on the verge of banning them, a move that would spell disaster for public health.
This week, EU health ministers will convene in Luxembourg for their council meeting. Their agenda includes discussions on the pharmaceutical package, vaccines, and the European Health Union. However, Latvia and Denmark are pushing to add another topic: flavour bans for nicotine products in the EU.
Denmark has already implemented a flavour ban for vaping products, and it has been a complete failure. According to a survey by the Tholos Foundation, 93% of vapers say it is easy to find banned flavours. This has resulted in a thriving black market, providing business for smugglers and undermining law enforcement efforts. Danish politicians have yet to explain why the same disastrous results wouldn’t occur across the entire EU. The survey also revealed that 80% of vapers use these products for health-related reasons. If a flavour ban were enforceable, what would current vapers do? They would likely revert to smoking, a common outcome in all countries where flavour bans are implemented. In Quebec, only six months after banning vape flavours, 36% of initial vapers returned to smoking.
An EU-wide flavour ban would push millions of adults either to the black market or back to smoking—both of which are terrible outcomes from a public health perspective.
The argument often cited for these bans is the protection of children. While this intention is noble, we must confront the reality that teenagers do not simply stop engaging in risky behaviours when politicians ban products or tell them to stop. San Francisco’s attempt to curb youth vaping through a flavour ban led to a rise in teenage smoking rates for the first time in decades, clearly worsening the situation.
Scientific evidence indicates that flavours play a critical role in helping adult smokers quit. Only 2.1% reported tobacco as the single most often used flavour. The most prevalent flavour at the time of quitting smoking was fruit (83.3%), followed by dessert (68.0%) and candy (44.5%).
EU health ministers must follow scientific evidence, which indicates that flavours increase the chance of quitting smoking by 230%. They must also listen to the voices of consumers. 54,000 people have signed the World Vapers’ Alliance’s petition against a flavour ban. Additionally, the EU Commission’s public consultation on future tobacco and nicotine regulation revealed that a majority supports harm-reduction products, including flavours.
As legislation for the next update of the Tobacco Products Directive is considered, it is important that EU policymakers recognize the importance of alternative products in reducing smoking rates and protecting public health. This isn’t just about regulation; it’s about lives. It’s time for EU policymakers to prioritize harm reduction and protect public health. Listen to the science, respect the voices of 54,000 citizens, and stop the flavour ban.
Promoted by World Vapers Alliance
