• 1 Bans in Public Places
  • 2 UK Regulation
  • 3 EU Tobacco Products Directive Revision
  • 4 FDA Regulation in the USA
  • 5 WHO s Position on e Cigarettes
  • 6 Other TobaccoTactics Resources
  • 7 Notes

Bans in Public Places

Due to a lack of regulations concerning e cigarettes, local authorities and commercial enterprises have started introducing their own rules. In the USA, the number of cities banning the use of e cigarettes in public places, such as bars, nightclubs and restaurants, and therefore treating them similarly to traditional cigarettes, is growing.

Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles City Council have all voted to ban them. In the UK, different companies have adopted varying positions. The pub chains Wetherspoons and the Slug & Lettuce have banned the use of them insider their establishments, so has the fast food chain McDonald s. Some train operators, including First Capital Connect, have imposed a complete ban on passengers using the devices. 2

Meanwhile, Wales could be the first part of the UK to ban smoking e cigarettes in enclosed public spaces. In early April 2014, the Welsh Health Minister, Professor Mark Drakeford revealed that he was considering a ban amid concerns the products could re normalise the use of conventional cigarettes. He said there were also concerns that the spread of e cigarettes could undermine the ban on tobacco smoking in enclosed public spaces, making it more difficult to enforce. The proposal is part of a new set of ideas for public health legislation. 3

UK Regulation

In the summer of 2013, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK decided that e cigarettes should be regulated as medicines from 2016. This regulation would require manufacturers to present data on the quality of their products, how they deliver nicotine to the body and how they compare with nicotine replacement products like patches and gums. 4 However, a final decision will await the outcome of the EU Tobacco Products Directive Revision.

The UK government announced plans to ban sales of e cigarettes to under 18s. The new regulation could come into force within a year of the announcement in January 2014. 5

  • More information on the policy decision process can be found on the Nicotine containing products page on the MHRA’s website.

EU Tobacco Products Directive Revision

On 18 December 2013, after years of delay, a political agreement was reached on the text for a revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) between the European Commission, Parliament and the Council. 6 This compromise text now has to be approved at a plenary session of the Parliament (expected in February or March 2014) and again by the Council. Once this has occured, Member States will have two years to implement the new rules at national level. Although the European Commission 7 and the Council 8 proposed to regulate e cigarettes as a medicine, this approach was rejected by the Parliament in October 2013. In December 2013, a compromise agreement was reached between the three EU institutions which should see e cigarettes regulated for the first time at EU Level. The compromise agreement provides for two ways of placing e cigarettes on the market

  • as a medicine, if companies choose to make a claim that e cigarettes help smokers quit smoking
  • as a consumer product (if companies do not make any health claims) subject to certain safeguards, including
  • a limit on nicotine strength of 20mg/ml
  • quality and purity standards
  • the same advertising bans as for cigarettes
  • a size limit and safety mechanisms for e liquid bottles and refillable cigarettes.

This agreement will also allow the UK Government to introduce extra safeguards for instance on age limits and flavourings in e cigarettes.

After the final approvement of the regulation, the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA) and other market players vowed to fight the ‘unworkable’ EU rules. 9

  • Also see E cigarettes Lobbying

FDA Regulation in the USA

In April 2014, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the long awaited blueprint for regulation on e cigarettes. 10 The new regulations would ban the sale of e cigarettes (and cigars and pipe tobacco) to Americans under 18, and would require that people buying them show photo identification to prove their age, measures already mandated in a number of states.

Once finalized, the regulations will establish oversight of what has been a market free for all of products, the New York Times wrote, including vials of liquid nicotine of varying quality and unknown provenance

Under the new rules, companies would no longer be able to offer free samples, and e cigarettes would have to come with warning labels saying that they contain nicotine, which is addictive. Companies would also not be able to assert that e cigarettes were less harmful than real cigarettes unless they got approval from the F.D.A. to do so by submitting scientific information. In the proposed restrictions on sales to minors, vending machines in public places where minors are allowed would no longer be able to carry them. A ban on Internet sales to minors, already in place for cigarettes, would extend to e cigarettes and cigars. Companies would have to apply for F.D.A. approval for their products, but would have two years after the new rules are finalized to do so. Companies can keep their products on the market in the meantime. 11

However,the new blueprint did not contain proposals to ban flavors in e cigarettes, like bubble gum and grape, that public health experts say lure children to use the products, nor any move to restrict the marketing of e cigarettes, as is done for traditional cigarettes, which are banned from television, for example.

The new regulatory proposal is open to public comment for 75 days, and then the agency will make final changes, a process that will take months, and possibly significantly longer if affected companies sue to block them. 11

At present, only e cigarettes that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are regulated by the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the national level. Furthermore, 26 US States have banned sales to minors on the basis that smoking e cigarettes, or vaping, might tempt them to try smoking. 5

Until new regulation is in place, the position of the FDA is a cautious one. The agency s website warns that as long as e cigarettes have not been fully studied, consumers do not know the following

  • the potential risks of e cigarettes when used as intended,
  • how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals are being inhaled during use, or
  • if there are any benefits associated with using these products.

Additionally, it is not known if e cigarettes may lead young people to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which cause disease and lead to premature death. 12

WHO s Position on e Cigarettes

In July 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement on e cigarettes and advised that consumers should not use e cigarettes until they are deemed safe. It said the potential risks “remain undetermined” and that the contents of the vapour emissions had not been thoroughly studied.

Contrary to what some marketers of the e cigarette imply in their advertisements, WHO does not consider it to be a legitimate therapy for smokers trying to quit. Furthermore, the efficacy of e cigarettes for helping people to quit smoking has not been scientifically demonstrated. According to WHO, they are

often touted as tobacco replacements, smoking alternatives or smoking cessation aids. But we know that for smoking cessation products to be most effectively and safely used, they need to be used according to instructions developed for each product through scientific testing.

The WHO concluded it was best to stay
away from electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), as they call them

Until such time as a given ENDS is deemed safe and effective and of acceptable quality by a competent national regulatory body, consumers should be strongly advised not to use any of these products, including electronic cigarettes. 13 Other TobaccoTactics Resources

  • E cigarettes
  • E cigarettes Marketing
  • E cigarettes At The Pharmacy
  • E cigarettes Lobbying
  • Harm Reduction
  • Product Innovation

Notes

  1. Library of the European Parliament, Electronic Cigarettes, Library Briefing, 27 March 2013, accessed January 2013
  2. Kevin Hughes, The rise of the e cigarette, 3 April 2014, accessed April 2014
  3. Ronan Hegarty, Wales weighs e cig ban in public places and minimum unit pricing, The Grocer, 2 April 2014, accessed April 2014
  4. MRHA, Nicotine containing products, December 2013, accessed January 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Andy Coghlan, UK government to ban e cigarettes for under 18s, New Scientist Health, 30 January 2014, accessed January 2014
  6. European Commission,Commissioner Borg welcomes agreement on the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, 18 December 2013, accessed December 2013
  7. European Commission, Proposal for a Directive of the Revision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products, 19 December 2012, accessed December 2012
  8. Council of the European Union, release 3247th Council meeting Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs, 21 June 2013, accessed June 2013
  9. Ronan Hegary, E cigarette players vow to fight ‘unworkable’ EU clampdown, The Grocer, 8 March 2014, accessed May 2014
  10. FDA, Deeming Tobacco Products To Be Subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as Amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Regulations on the Sale and Distribution of Tobacco Products and Required Warning Statements for Tobacco Products, a proposed rule, 25 April 2014, accessed April 2014
  11. 11.0 11.1 Sabirna Tavernise, F.D.A. Will Propose New Regulations for E Cigarettes, 24 April 2014, accessed April 2014
  12. FDA, Regulation of e Cigarettes, no date, accessed January 2014
  13. WHO, Questions and answers on electronic cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), Statement, 9 July 2013

Why do so many europeans smoke cigarettes? (life, country, dangerous) – city-data forum

West cigarettes online ireland
02 06 2009, 04 04 AM califantastic 332 posts, read 1,056,523 times Reputation 221 Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes?

Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes?

Whenever I travel in Europe I am always amazed by the extremely high percentage of Europeans that smoke cigarettes. This seems strange to me considering that people in Europe tend to be better educated and more affluent that people in many other parts of the world. I would think that the more educated and affluent a person is the less likely they would be to smoke. But this is clearly not the case in Europe.

A couple explanations I thought of Herd behavior (people in Europe smoke because everyone else does), Europeans do not care as much about their health, they are more concerned with enjoying themselves than living a long healthy life.

If you have any opinion or insights into why such a high percentage of Europeans smoke please let me know your thoughts.
02 06 2009, 05 20 AM pigeonhole 3,662 posts, read 4,666,727 times Reputation 2155 Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes ?

Because they are STUPID

(from an European who doesn’t smoke cigarettes, only reefers in my salad days…) 02 06 2009, 06 01 AM Scotslass Location Axarquнa, Andalucнa, Spain 2,945 posts, read 4,718,279 times Reputation 1657 As Europe is a continent it depends which country you go to rather than “tarring the whole continent with the same brush” Spain, Italy, France has alot of smokers compared to here.

But you’ll find that not everyone smokes. I myself am disgusted by smoking and would never ever try it. 02 06 2009, 08 01 AM acrylic Location AZ 1,379 posts, read 2,387,091 times Reputation 622 Lots of people in former Yugoslavia smoke. It’s quite saddening. I’ve told a couple of them about how bad it is, and they get so mad and defensive. Including my mom. sigh 02 06 2009, 05 42 PM BRAZILIAN Location Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 568 posts, read 689,994 times Reputation 370 Quote Originally Posted by pigeonhole Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes ?

Because they are STUPID

(from an European who doesn’t smoke cigarettes, only reefers in my salad days…) Why stupids my friend? I am not european but I am cigarettes’ smoker and I don’t feel a stupid.
I think smoke cigarettes is less dangerous than
Drive high speed
Parachutes
Bung jump
Radical sports
Smell diesel smoke
Heavy traffic
Air pollution, water pollution
Live near nuclear plant
Walk at night (or day) some cities streets
Fire guns
Politicians
Political economist
Etc…, Etc…
How you can see, have many, many things very much dangerous in the world than Smoke Cigarette. 02 06 2009, 06 27 PM acrylic Location AZ 1,379 posts, read 2,387,091 times Reputation 622 Quote Originally Posted by BRAZILIAN Why stupids my friend? I am not european but I am cigarettes’ smoker and I don’t feel a stupid.
I think smoke cigarettes is less dangerous than
Drive high speed
Parachutes
Bung jump
Radical sports
Smell diesel smoke
Heavy traffic
Air pollution, water pollution
Live near nuclear plant
Walk at night (or day) some cities streets
Fire guns
Politicians
Political economist
Etc…, Etc…
How you can see, have many, many things very much dangerous in the world than Smoke Cigarette. Hmm. No.

You’ll see… it doesn’t per say affect you right away, but when it does, it’ll be a lot worse than sitting in heavy traffic, firing a gun, or anything to do with a politician. You’re just killing yourself slowly. 02 06 2009, 07 17 PM green mariner 24,135 posts, read 19,236,766 times Reputation 6753 I don’t know if this is the case for Europe as a whole, but I read about a case in Germany. It isn’t so much that Americans smoke less than Europeans, but in the USA, smoking in public is frowned upon, but in Europe, smoking in public is accepted, therefore, people will smoke in cafes and the restaurants. 02 06 2009, 07 35 PM K Luv Location Maryland not Murlin 7,120 posts, read 12,934,206 times Reputation 4251 Quote Originally Posted by califantastic Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes? Why are Californians so obsessed with health even though they live in one of the most polluted states?

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic Whenever I travel in Europe I am always amazed by the extremely high percentage of Europeans that smoke cigarettes. This seems strange to me considering that people in Europe tend to be better educated and more affluent that people in many other parts of the world. I would think that the more educated and affluent a person is the less likely they would be to smoke. But this is clearly not the case in Europe. The few times that I have been to Europe I didn’t notice an excessive amount of smokers, even when I was in France and Italy. Yes, I saw many smokers, but not any more than I see in the states. The reason why so many Europeans smoke is that it is relatively socially acceptable, and unlike the US, most Europeans do like to have the government tell them how to live, let alone some health nut. Besides, if two world wars, numerous smaller wars and countless uprisings/revolutions were waged in your front yard, back yard and living room, you might be a little bit more relaxed with the idea of smoking. Anyways, to answer your question it is a cultural thing just like how in the South (US) they love to eat excessive amounts of fried and greasy food.

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic A couple explanations I thought of Herd behavior (people in Europe smoke because everyone else does), Europeans do not care as much about their health, they are more concerned with enjoying themselves than living a long healthy life. Herd behavior? That is a pretty ignorant statement.

There is an old George Carlin joke that goes, Eat right, stay fit, and die anyways. A good friend of mine watched his dad pass away of cancer a few years ago. His old man was only in his fifties, eat healthy, played racquet ball a few times a week, never smoked, and blah blah blah. If you are concerned about the ill effects of smoking then I suggest that you do not live in a city. Aside from the general amount of pollutants in the air, car exhaust is just as carcinogenic as cigarets and diesel exhaust contains the most highly carcinogenic substance known to man. Just breathing city air is the equivalent of smoking at least half a pack a day.

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic If you have any opinion or insights into why such a high percentage of Europeans smoke please let me know your thoughts. My thoughts are that Europeans do not smoke any more than anyone else. It is a stereotype and a generalization. 02 06 2009, 09 52 PM orangeapple Location Southern California 2,883 posts, read 4,036,470 times Reputation 3648 There’s some overly defensive smokers in denial in this thread 02 06 2009, 10 03 PM Greatday Location Pinal County, Arizona 25,105 posts, read 22,328,346 times Reputation 4785 I might add that MANY Asians also smoke cigarettes. As do Russians. As do many in South America and Africa. Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

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