Call for Evidence: Make your voice heard!
02nd Jun 2022
The European Commission has recently published a “Call for Evidence” aimed at evaluating the tobacco control legislative framework, brought about by Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. All parties can participate and send contributions until 17 June 2022. Make your voice heard today!
What’s the call for evidence?
The call for evidence is a public consultation in which the Commission invites all interested parties to provide feedback, empirical evidence, personal experiences, or suggestions.
The initiative runs for a total of 4 weeks and is open to everyone. You can respond as an individual, or on behalf of an organization. Your input will be considered as the Commission further develops and fine-tune the initiative.
What’s the background for the initiative?
The initiative aims to evaluate the tobacco control legislative framework, namely product regulation and advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, in the broader context of other related tobacco control policies. Furthermore, the evaluation will assess to what extent the present framework has fulfilled its goals and its ability to support a “Tobacco-Free Generation” by 2040, as announced in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (BECA).
How do I respond?
We encourage you to share your point of view, experiences, or feedback regarding alternative nicotine products – whether it is e-cigarettes, gums, or most importantly – nicotine pouches. Various EU voices have expressed concerns regarding the “rapid rise” in emerging products such as nicotine pouches, which are not covered under the present Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Express your views by following this link.
Unsure about how to express your opinion, or what to include? Here are Pouch Patrol’s tips on stands to take:
Give correct information to the public to save lives
“The EU needs to do more than just remind the public of what it already knows – that smoking is bad for you. Instead, it needs to take action to promote alternatives. Emerging products, such as nicotine pouches, provide safer alternatives to the consumer without the harmful combustion of cigarettes. Many smokers are completely unaware that these products exist – why it’s critical that the EU works towards ensuring accurate information about scientifically substantiated less harmful alternatives.”
Adapt harm reduction principles to reach a smoke-free world
“There is a growing recognition that smoke-free products have a role to play in reducing the harm caused by smoking. Evidence suggests that the availability of alternative nicotine products is a decisive factor in decreasing smoking rates. Outlawing less harmful nicotine products ultimately limits the success of broader anti-smoking efforts and efforts to save human lives. Developments in countries such as Sweden, Norway, and the U.K clearly demonstrate the benefits of alternative products and harm reduction for reaching the goal of a smoke-free world.”
Products attractiveness and availability are fundamental to stamping out smoking
“Reducing tobacco-related harm at the population level through less harmful alternatives depends on its adoption by adult smokers. Smokers, however, have varying wants and needs. Flavors play a critical role in attracting, and retaining, adult smokers. Restrictions or bans on flavors available to adult smokers may undermine the use of smoke-free products as an alternative to cigarettes and, in turn, the public health benefits of switching. Alternatives also need to be available for adult consumers or they are at risk of remaining smokers. Moreover, the beauty of attractive and available alternatives is that people can stamp out smoking without even intending to quit initially.”
Looking for information about nicotine pouches?
Find information, personal testimonials, and summaries of relevant scientific research and evidence on Pouch Patrol.
