European Union has tightened anti-tobacco legislation

February 17, 2014

European Union has tightened their anti-tobacco legislation that will come into force from 2016.

EU Council on the level of ambassadors from 28 EU countries have approved new restrictions of manufacturing and sale principles of tobacco products, their packages and rules of selling electronic cigarettes.

According to new rules 65% of cigarette pack surface or pack of any other tobacco product should be closed with warnings about smoking harm. They obligatorily must contain such phrases as: "Smoking kills, quit immediately" and "Tobacco smoke contains more than 70 substances that cause cancer".

Governments of some countries have the right to introduce on their territory even stricter restrictions. According to the directive from 2007 that is in force it is obligatory to close with such warnings only 30% of pack surface.

One more important innovation became ban on flavoring agents. From 2016 in Europe will be prohibited for manufacturing and sale cigarettes with vanilla and fruit flavor but from 2020 - cigarettes with menthol.

Directive authors consider that this decision should reduce popularity of smoking among youth, and first of all, among young women.