War within the EU European Commission acting against European Parliament s will on e cigarettes
By Dr Farsalinos
It seems that besides a public health disaster, the issue of e cigarette proposals by the European Commission is also a political scandal. It is just 48 days ago that the European Parliament voted for amendment170 concerning e cigarettes regulation. This was supposed to be the basis of any further negotiation, with the goal to make improvement and transform this amendment into regulation. Instead, the European Commission has completely bypassed the will and vote of the Parliament and has introduced a completely new proposal. Here are the main differences between the two proposals
European Parliament maximum nicotine concentration of 30mg/ml
European Commission maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml
European Parliament flavorings allowed
European Commission flavorings banned (except from those present in NRTs)
European Parliament no restriction on refill liquids
European Commission refill liquids banned
European Parliament no restriction on devices
European Commission refillable atomizers banned, only single use cartos allowed
European Parliament no restriction on cross border sales
European Commission cross border sales prohibited
European Parliament request to report list of ingredients and emissions
European Commission e cigarettes should be free from contaminants
European Parliament advertisements prohibited
European Commission advertisements prohibited
It is obvious that the Commission s proposal contradicts almost every aspect of the amendment voted by the Parliament. This should be considered a scandal, shows disrespect towards the will of the MEPs and is an effort to bypass all procedures and implement a strange agenda of illegalizing e cigarettes. For example, they ask that e cigarettes should be free from contaminants while they know that this cannot happen and they know that even pharmaceutical NRTs have nitrosamines (at levels similar to e cigarettes). In any case, they have completely ignored science showing that nicotine is needed for e cigarettes to be effective, users self titrate their nicotine intake and any instructions on dosage are useless, and flavors are an important part in consumers efforts to reduce or quit smoking.
The European Commission is deciding on regulation contrary to Parliament proposals, contrary to scientific findings and contrary to public health interest
E-cigarettes to be regulated like tobacco by european commission, leaked documents say
The announcement was made by the Dutch Health Ministry and is based on findings by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health. The ministry s policy statement emphasized the lack of existing data concerning the health effects of e cigarettes. “There is insufficient scientific evidence to be able to say whether the quantities of toxins in the exhaled air are dangerous for bystanders,” Dutch deputy health minister, Martin Van Rijn, wrote in a letter to parliament on Thursday.
As part of a policy move to address the health threats of e cigarettes, Van Rijn stated in his letter that he will take measures in national legislation in regard to advertising, safety, quality, and labeling of e cigarettes. These measures will be imposed before any European health policy consensus about the matter is reached.
Reaching a Consensus About E cigarettes
Last May, experts gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss reaching a common economic and scientific policy regarding electronic cigarettes.
At the workshop, Dr Roberto Bertollini, Chief Scientist and World Health Organization representative to the European Union, observed the significant increase in sales of e cigarettes across Europe ever since their introduction to the market. He also mentioned that the current scientific evidence on the potential benefits as well as risks of these alternatives is inconclusive. In particular, he said, the long terms effects are unknown.
At the same meeting, the president of the European Respiratory Society, Francesco Blasi, added that the effects that e cigarettes have on the lungs remain unknown, as is the extent of nicotine uptake. But Charlotta Pisinger, a senior research fellow at the Research Center for Prevention and Health in Copenhagen, countered that our current knowledge about the health effects of e cigarettes is akin to our knowledge of regular cigarettes 100 years ago. She noted that an accumulation of small fragments of material has actually been detected in lungs after inhaling e cigarettes, which could eventually become a health concern.
But a representative of the German E cigarette User Association, Hans Christian Holy, highlighted the potential health benefits of e cigarettes by reducing the number of deaths from tobacco smoke. In this sense, he concluded, the opportunity to use e cigarettes to prevent harm shouldn t be overlooked.