Tag: hnb

  • Cautious on heated tobacco

    caution photo
    Photo by Tak H.

    In answering a question posed by the Italian MEP, Giulia Moi, the European Commission has reaffirmed that it favors a cautious approach to heated tobacco devices.

    In a preamble to two questions, Moi said that a major tobacco company had recently introduced a new product designed as a substitute for traditional cigarettes.

    ‘The device heats the tobacco, which then releases nicotine,’ she said.

    ‘Studies which point to a 90 percent reduction in the harmful effects of heated tobacco when compared to cigarettes were in fact commissioned by the very company that makes the product.’

    Moi asked whether any independent European studies had been carried out to determine the risks and adverse effects of the use of heated tobacco.

    And she asked whether the Commission should do more to raise awareness among European consumers of the ‘potential toxicological risks of using such a substance in this way’.

    In its answer, the Commission said it was aware of the recent introduction in some member states of heat-not-burn tobacco products and was closely monitoring developments related to these products. A report on market developments concerning such novel products was due to be prepared in accordance with Article 28(2)(b) of the Tobacco Products Directive.

    ‘Moreover, in line with the current mandate of the Working Group on Articles 9 and 10 established under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), in which the Commission is acting as a key facilitator, the WHO will specifically examine novel and emerging tobacco products such as “heat-not-burn” tobacco products,’ it said.

    ‘Given the lack of evidence relating to short-term and long-term health effects and use patterns of “heat-not-burn” products as also described in a recent report from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Commission favours a cautious approach.

    ‘With regard to the sale, presentation and manufacturing of “heat-not-burn” products within the European Union, the relevant provisions of the Tobacco Products Directive apply and should be enforced.

    ‘The Commission has been actively supporting awareness-raising campaigns on the health risks of tobacco consumption and welcomes campaigns at national level tailor-made to the circumstances of each member state.’

    The European Commission said that it was in favor of a cautious approach to heat-not-burn products also in a statement reported here on January 20.

    On that occasion, the answer, largely the same as that made in reply to Moi, was given in relation to questions raised by the Belgian MEP, Frédérique Ries.

    But there was some additional information given.

    ‘At the same time, the Commission would like to underline that with regard to the sale, presentation and manufacturing of these products within the European Union, the relevant provisions of the Tobacco Products Directive apply and should be enforced,’ the Commission said in part. ‘This includes the ban on misleading elements foreseen by Article 13 and notably any suggestions that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than others. The Commission oversees whether member states fully and correctly apply the provisions of the directive.’

  • HNB hinges on regulation

    HNB hinges on regulation

    Heat not burn (HNB) products, which heat tobacco rather than incinerating it at temperatures that cause many harmful chemicals to form, represent a potentially promising public-health tool to reduce the harm of cigarette smoking, according to a new policy study by Edward Anselm, a senior fellow of the R Street Institute, a, public policy research organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA.

    “Heating tobacco at lower temperatures than combustible cigarettes allows nicotine to be delivered in ways that retain much of the ritual and experience of smoking,” writes Anselm. “Comprehensive scientific programs have demonstrated these products present significantly reduced risk when compared to traditional cigarettes. Collectively, they represent a new set of tools to reduce the harm of combustible tobacco.”

    HNB products are available in several markets. Anselm believes that their success in the United States may be dictated by how the Food and Drug Administration chooses to regulate them.

    “While it appears the research programs to support HNB products are well on their way toward meeting the requirements for new and modified risk products, it is not yet clear how stringently the FDA will interpret the guidelines,” Anselm writes.

  • Cautious on heat-not-burn

    Cautious on heat-not-burn

    The European Commission is in favor of a cautious approach to heat-not-burn products because it believes that there is a lack of evidence relating to the short- and long-term health effects of using such devices.

    This was part of the answer given by the Commission to questions raised by the Belgian MEP, Frédérique Ries.

    In a preamble to her questions, Ries said that Philip Morris International had said that it intended to market its new ‘device for smoking’ in the UK, following its initial launch in Japan, Italy and Switzerland.

    ‘The distinctive feature of this new product, which has been named iQOS, is that it stands on the borderline between traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes,’ she said.

    ‘The major difference between iQOS and electronic cigarettes is that while the latter use a liquid transformed into vapor, IQOS heats the tobacco and keeps it burning [iQOS has been designed so as not to burn the tobacco it contains, only to heat it, as is implied in part of the Commission’s reply], which is very harmful to health.’

    Ries asked whether the Commission concurred with health experts who claimed that marketing a hybrid tobacco product of this kind was a ploy to circumvent legislation in force and, in particular, all the requirements laid down in Article 19 of Directive 2014/40/EU concerning novel tobacco products.

    ‘What steps will the Commission take to thwart the strategies employed by cigarette manufacturers to sell alternative products that are still just as harmful to people’s health?’ she asked.

    ‘Will the Commission take this opportunity to alter its negative views on electronic cigarettes, which, as a growing number of cancer experts in the EU are now pointing out, do not contain any tobacco or tar and are helping many people to stop smoking?’

    In reply, the Commission said it was closely monitoring the developments related to new tobacco products, including “heated not burned” tobacco products.

    ‘Currently, there is lack of evidence relating to short-term and long-term health effects and use patterns of these products,’ it said. ‘Therefore the Commission is in favour of a cautious approach.

    ‘At the same time, the Commission would like to underline that with regard to the sale, presentation and manufacturing of these products within the European Union, the relevant provisions of the Tobacco Products Directive apply and should be enforced. This includes the ban on misleading elements foreseen by Article 13 and notably any suggestions that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than others. The Commission oversees whether member states fully and correctly apply the provisions of the directive.

    ‘With regard to e-cigarettes, given the lack of conclusive evidence relating to the long-term health effects, use patterns and potential to facilitate smoking cessation, Article 20 of the directive contains their regulation with an emphasis on safety, quality and consumer protection.

    ‘The rules for e-cigarettes nevertheless allow these products to remain widely available to consumers. A recent Commission report COM (2016) 269 underlines a number of potential risks to public health relating to the use of e-cigarettes, at the same time highlighting the need for further research.’