The European Parliament recognizes that the electronic cigarette
can help stop smoking
Written by Mr Vapoteur
In February, the European Parliament adopted a report on cancer prevention and
treatment, which recognises that vaping products can be potential smoking cessation tools.
The report, which recognises that smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer in the European Union,
also states that the European Parliament believes that e-cigarettes can help some smokers to gradually stop smoking.
But the European Commission will have to follow up on scientific assessments of the health risks of electronic cigarettes,
heated tobacco products and new tobacco products.
This adoption, by 652 votes to 15, appears to be a historic declaration for the Independent European Vape Association (IEVA).
But not everything in this report is positive. Indeed, the report indicates that the Commission considers
that electronic cigarettes should not be attractive to minors and non-smokers.
It will therefore have to assess which flavours are most attractive to minors and non-smokers and then propose
a ban on them.
For its part, the IEVA recalls that if the association recognizes that it must put in place measures to limit inappropriate
marketing around certain products of steam, it is crucial not to ban the flavors since they play a role more than
important in smoking cessation through the electronic cigarette.
In other bad news, Nicolás González Casares, MEP, says that the Parliament should soon vote on amendments to
introduce scientific evidence and WHO recommendations on tobacco and e-cigarettes into the report.
We all know the World Health Organisation's position on vaping, which has always been against vaping.
These amendments could therefore be bad news for the future of e-cigarettes in Europe.