EU

France will ban nicotine pouches in the coming weeks, according to the country’s health minister Geneviève Darrieussecq. Darrieussecq told Le Parisien that the products are dangerous because they contain high doses of nicotine. On Wednesday, France’s health minister announced in Le Parisien that nicotine pouches will soon be banned in the country. The reason, according […]

Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank, presented his competitiveness report to Ursula von der Leyen with a clear message: the EU must make significant investments to compete with the US and China. The report paints a picture of a fragmented Europe that is falling behind its global competitors and calls for substantial […]

The European Commission has made recommendations on indoor and outdoor smoking bans that would put vaping on the same footing as smoking. Previous recommendations already include bans on smoking in indoor workspaces and some outdoor spaces. The new recommendations, which apply to any aerosol-emitting device whether it contains nicotine or not, would result in severe […]

The Irish government is set to bring in prohibitive vape laws, despite obvious failures in other countries with similarly restrictive approaches to e-cigarettes. Irish Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, has received approval from the Cabinet to draft laws that include bans on flavours, point-of-sale display and advertising in shops and the use of vending machines, as […]

The latest Eurobarometer – a survey published by the European Commission – reveals some fascinating facts about Europeans’ attitudes towards tobacco and nicotine products. But despite the growing need to find solutions to real problems, neither the Commission nor Eurobarometer has actively promoted the results. The Commission does not have support for its proposals The […]

On friday morning, the news agency Bloomberg drew attention to Sweden’s low smoking rates and delved into the underlying reasons for this trend. He is Pouch Patrol’s comments on the article. Sweden have 135 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 men, compared to the EU’s 296 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 men. If Swedish tobacco and nicotine legislation […]

On Wednesday, December 13, the European Parliament will vote on the report on non-communicable diseases prepared by the Committee on Public Health. We at Pouch Patrol encourage all Members of the European Parliament who care about reducing smoking-related mortality to vote in favor. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for the majority of premature deaths worldwide, including […]

Pouch patrol have previously reported on the concerning attempts by the EU Commission to push its own agenda ahead of COP10, putting democratic principles at risk. These actions undermine the fundamental principle that EU decisions should be made with respect for the rights of member states and the democratic representation of citizens. This is turn poses a threat toward alternative nicotine products, and in turn the public health of Europe.

Leading up to the WHO’s session on tobacco control (COP-10), concerning news has emerged that the European Commission has proposed excluding member states and the European Parliament from the negotiations. The proposal allows the Commission to alter the EU’s position, a move without precedent, according to Swedish Member of the European Parliament, Sara Skyttedal.

It is important that the EU-commission addresses all aspects of the nicotine harm-reducing alternatives in the upcoming legislative proposition on tobacco control. The European Commission’s Inter-Service Group (ISG) has been established, and a first draft of the upcoming tobacco control framework will soon be completed.