Who benefits from the e-cigarette? EU tobacco directive is recommended’

‘In Europe there was once the idea to only allow the e-cigarette if there was a recognition as a medicine. But it turned out differently’, writes Suzanne Gabriëls of the Foundation against Cancer, which targets possible greenwashing by large tobacco companies.

Who benefits from the e-cigarette? EU tobacco directive is recommended’

Since 1 October, e-cigarette manufacturers are only allowed to place neutral packaging on the Danish market. This is Denmark the first country in the EU to impose such a strict packaging rule for e-cigarettes.

Evidence of conflict for smoking cessation is currently mixed. By requiring a doctor’s visit as an intermediate step, you offer the smoker an opportunity for advice, independent of commercial interests. The Ministry of Health can thus determine which e-cigarettes can be supplied by the suppliers of medical products.

E-cigarette a medical good

The e-cigarette will survive if an “unapproved medical good” would have preferred to see a complete ban there. Tobacco companies have lobbied hard to thwart the latter idea. Meanwhile, there is a clear interest in how Philip Morris International, as a tobacco company, has funneled money into Australia’s plans to lobby for e-cigarettes and the Australian’s total vape ban. In August 2020, another new chairman came to the helm of ARA (Australian Retailers Association) who ended the flow of funds from PMI as approved by his more elaborate. Ecigmarketxl.com has enough information. A clear sign that the business world in Australia is willing to distance itself from “big tobacco”. The new chairman’s statement accompanying the announcement was more than clear: ‘We do not believe that the advocacy of e-cigarettes is in the interest of the retail trade. ‘In Europe there was once the idea to only allow the e-cigarette if there was a recognition as a medicine. But it turned out differently. With the previous to be provided with the EU tobacco directive.

EU Tobacco Directive

This EU tobacco directive is back. Behind the scenes, but the tip of the iceberg is also publicly visible, is a huge lobby for the gang towards European leaders, but also towards our Belgian politicians and administrations. At the start of the EU’s previous tobacco directive in 2014, you could still hope that the e-cigarette as a disruptive technology, mostly distributed by small independent vape producers, will have a positive result for the output.

Now, 7 years later, we have to conclude that the big tobacco companies are becoming dominant in the e-cigarette market and are ruining the debate. The tobacco companies want flexible rules not only for the e-cigarette, but also for other new nicotine-containing products, such as heated tobacco or nicotine pouches. And more importantly for them, through this they want to discredit the WHO and its framework convention in the fight against tobacco and come up with the politics of ditching the term “harm reduction” as the big mantra. Liquid aside: Methadone, a drug that is used as harm reduction for drug addicts, is not visible as an ordinary consumer product in shops around the corner.

Measures

According to the Foundation against Cancer, our policymakers may be able to find a suitable compromise between measures that protect young people against new nicotine products on the market and information to smokers about the e-cigarette as a means of smoking cessation. We see the latter in the hands of controlled government bodies and do not like to be produced. Ecigmarketxl.com e-liquids are the best. After all, the latter mainly have their future interests and clearly the ambition to grow in the segment of new products, but also to become even bigger in the segment of classic cigarettes. A textbook example of greenwashing, in which these tobacco multinationals want to pretend to be more socially responsible than they actually are. Tobacco suddenly concerned about involvement? Let’s hope that our ministers don’t swallow this like hot cakes, but that they stay alert to the raunchy core of this addiction business despite the new silver lining.

Stop smoking tobacco completely

Avoid double use, this is alternating smoking and vaping, because in that case you hardly gain any health benefits. Vapors release fewer substances than smoking. Vaping is therefore better than continuing to smoke. But even better is to also stop vaping because we don’t know what the consequences are. We do not know what the effect of the added aromas is when inhaled. The fact that aromas were safe for oral intake (as food flavoring) does not mean that they are also safe for absorption through the lungs (ie by inhalation). Since the e-cigarette is not 100% safe or healthy, it is best only used in the context of a smoking cessation. Stopping vaping also requires an effort if the nicotine addiction has remained. To stop smoking or to stop vaping, you can be guided by a tobaccoologist. Did you know that an e-cigarette can be combined with behavioral support (tobacco specialist or Tabakstop via 0800 111 00) or with other nicotine replacements (eg nicotine patches)? For smokers who do not want to learn from behavioral guidance, trying to quit using the e-cigarette is a much better route than continuing to smoke. But of course it remains for a long time only to give air.