Dutch health minister opposes proposed tobacco products directive revisions

EU plans to put graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and ban vending machines are opposed by the Dutch health minister, Edith Schippers, according to an Expatica.com story quoting an RTL news report.

The European Commission is due imminently to come forward with proposed revisions to the tobacco products directive, though the timing has been thrown into question by the resignation last month of John Dalli from his position as European Commissioner responsible for health and consumer affairs.

Schippers has already said she sees nothing in the plans. “The Netherlandsis critical of placing photographs on packets’, RTL quoted her as saying.
And she added that proposals to ban cigarette vending machines in cafés and clubs would be too much of a burden for the sector.

The anti-tobacco lobby group, Stivoro, described the minister’s position as incomprehensible.

“TheNetherlandswould appear to let commercial interests prevail above the interests of public health,” an unnamed spokesman was quoted as saying.

Stivoro said earlier this month that the number of smokers in theNetherlandswill have risen to 26.2 per cent of the adult population (those over 18) by the end of this year, up from 25.0 per cent in 2011.