HEALTH : TOBACCO: E-CIGARETTE INDUSTRY APPLAUDS PARLIAMENT'S VOTE.

The electronic cigarette industry is victorious after a vote at the European Parliament on tobacco products, while public health organisations have called it a "semi-victory" in a joint communication published after the 8 October vote(1). The tobacco industry, however, has reacted negatively.

The vote has weakened the European Commission's proposals. MEPs have voted to 1. limit the size of health warnings to 65% of the surface area of packs (the Commission has called for 75%); 2. progressively limit characterising flavours (to be phased out in three years, with an eight-year derogation for menthol cigarettes); 3. forbid remote cross-border tobacco sales; 4. maintain the status quo for slim cigarettes (the Commission wants to ban these). They have also refused to subject e-cigarettes to the same system as medicines, introducing instead a series of minimum standards on presentation and nicotine content. In exchange for this last measure, the Liberals and Conservatives have agreed to grant a negotiating mandate to the rapporteur.

The e-cigarette industry is rejoicing. "This vote constitutes a step towards a regulated and harmonised market for electronic cigarettes, which is necessary to ensure the quality and safety of all products, as well as the availability for citizens of this less harmful alternative to conventional tobacco products," said Ray Story, CEO of the Tobacco Vapour Electronic Cigarette Association (TVECA) after the conclusion of...