Special report
The future of tobacco product regulation and labelling in Europe: implications for the forthcoming European Union directive
Clive Batesa, Ann McNeillb, Martin Jarvisc, Nigel Grayd
a Action on
Smoking and Health, London, UK, b Health Education Authority, London, c Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Health
Behaviour Unit, University College London, d European
Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
Correspondence to: C Bates, Action on Smoking and Health, 102-108, Clifton Street, London EC2A 4HW, UK; clive.bates@dial.pipex.com
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
| |
Summary |
|---|
The European Commission has announced that it is considering legislation concerning further restrictions on cigarette tar and nicotine yields, as well as new provisions to regulate additives and the labelling of tobacco products. This report considers these issues and their relation to public health.
In particular, we argue that further reductions in tar and nicotine yields as measured by the International Standards Organisation/Federal Trade Commission (ISO/FTC) method will be largely cosmetic and certainly misleading to consumers. If a new directive uses the ISO/FTC methodology as a basis for regulation, it risks lending further official support to the concept of "low tar" cigarettes, which may be used by smokers as an alternative to smoking cessation.
Although new regulations based on the ISO/FTC methodology may appear to
offer health gains, these will be illusory and there may even be
negative health consequences, as has been
the case with these tests up to
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Hammond, D, O'Connor, R J
(2008). Constituents in tobacco and smoke emissions from Canadian cigarettes. Tobacco Control
17: i24-i31
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Stephens, W E
(2007). Dependence of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields on physical parameters: implications for exposure, emissions control and monitoring. Tobacco Control
16: 170-176
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Tonnesen, P., Carrozzi, L., Fagerstrom, K. O., Gratziou, C., Jimenez-Ruiz, C., Nardini, S., Viegi, G., Lazzaro, C., Campell, I. A., Dagli, E., West, R.
(2007). Smoking cessation in patients with respiratory diseases: a high priority, integral component of therapy. Eur Respir J
29: 390-417
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Hammond, D., Wiebel, F., Kozlowski, L. T, Borland, R., Cummings, K M., O'Connor, R. J, McNeill, A., Connolly, G. N, Arnott, D., Fong, G. T
(2007). Revising the machine smoking regime for cigarette emissions: implications for tobacco control policy. Tobacco Control
16: 8-14
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
O'Connor, R. J., Kozlowski, L. T., Borland, R., Hammond, D., McNeill, A.
(2006). Relationship between constituent labelling and reporting of tar yields among smokers in four countries. J Public Health (Oxf)
28: 324-329
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Hammond, D., Fong, G. T., Cummings, K. M., O'Connor, R. J., Giovino, G. A., McNeill, A.
(2006). Cigarette yields and human exposure: a comparison of alternative testing regimens.. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.
15: 1495-1501
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Gray, N, Henningfield, J E, Benowitz, N L, Connolly, G N, Dresler, C, Fagerstrom, K, Jarvis, M J, Boyle, P
(2005). Toward a comprehensive long term nicotine policy. Tobacco Control
14: 161-165
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Kelbsch, J., Meyer, C., Rumpf, H.-J., John, U., Hapke, U.
(2005). Stages of change and other factors in 'light' cigarette smokers. Eur J Public Health
15: 146-151
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Meissner, U., Hanisch, C., Ostreicher, I., Knerr, I., Hofbauer, K.-H., Blum, W. F., Allabauer, I., Rascher, W., Dotsch, J.
(2005). Differential Regulation of Leptin Synthesis in Rats during Short-Term Hypoxia and Short-Term Carbon Monoxide Inhalation. Endocrinology
146: 215-220
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
MacKenzie, R, Collin, J, Sriwongcharoen, K, Muggli, M E
(2004). "If we can just 'stall' new unfriendly legislations, the scoreboard is already in our favour": transnational tobacco companies and ingredients disclosure in Thailand. Tobacco Control
13: ii79-ii87
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Henningfield, J E, Benowitz, N L, Connolly, G N, Davis, R M, Gray, N, Myers, M L, Zeller, M
(2004). Reducing tobacco addiction through tobacco product regulation. Tobacco Control
13: 132-135
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Henningfield, J E, Moolchan, E T, Zeller, M
(2003). Regulatory strategies to reduce tobacco addiction in youth. Tobacco Control
12: i14-24
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Dodd, R., Lethbridge, J., Collin, J., Gilmore, A.
(2002). GSP Policy Briefs. Global Social Policy
2: 343-360
-
Jarvis, M J
(2001). Trends in sales weighted tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields of UK cigarettes. Thorax
56: 960-963
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
BAKER, R. R, JACOB, F., BIALOUS, S. A., YACH, D.
(2001). Whose standard is it, anyway? Author's reply. Tobacco Control
10: 394-396
[Full Text] -
HENNINGFIELD, J. E, FAGERSTROM, K. O
(2001). Swedish Match Company, Swedish snus and public health: a harm reduction experiment in progress?. Tobacco Control
10: 253-257
[Full Text] -
Bialous, S. A, Yach, D.
(2001). Whose standard is it, anyway? How the tobacco industry determines the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for tobacco and tobacco products. Tobacco Control
10: 96-104
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
HAN, A.
(2001). Challenging public health acceptability of current international standards on tobacco products: paving the way for strengthened cooperation. Tobacco Control
10: 105-107
[Full Text] -
Jarvis, M. J., Boreham, R., Primatesta, P., Feyerabend, C., Bryant, A.
(2001). Nicotine Yield From Machine-Smoked Cigarettes and Nicotine Intakes in Smokers: Evidence From a Representative Population Survey. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst
93: 134-138
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
SCOLLO, M.
(2000). Recreational nicotine: uncertain benefits and several major risks. Tobacco Control
9: 240-241
[Full Text]
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
