The EU calls for evidence: express your opinions!

What’s the initiative?

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 4 weeks and is open to everyone. You can respond as an individual, or on behalf of an organization. The call for evidence runs until the 17th of June, after which a 12-week consultation process will take place.

What’s the background for the Call for Evidence?

The consultation will evaluate the tobacco control legislative framework, namely advertising and product regulation, promotion, and sponsorship in the broader context of other related tobacco control policies. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess to what extent current tobacco control legislation has fulfilled its goals and whether or not it will further aspirations in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (BECA) to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040.

Does this concern British consumers now that the U.K have left the EU? Well, indirectly yes, as what emerges from this consultation will guide a review of the Tobacco Product Directive which will be of great influence globally.

How can I participate?

We hope that many of you take the opportunity to express your opinions regarding alternative nicotine products – whether it is nicotine pouches, gums, e-cigarettes, or others. You can submit your contribution by following this link, where you will also find extra information available in 23 languages.

It’s important that the consumer’s view is respected in an initiative such as this. Therefore, please do share your story with the EU. Unsure about how to express your opinion, nevertheless what to include? Here are Haypp’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 and summaries of relevant scientific research and evidence on Northerner UK.