At the end of June, the EU Commission launched a call for evidence on a proposal to extend a 2009 recommendation on smoke-free environments to include vaping products and heated tobacco. The purpose is to encourage all EU member states to implement bans on vaping and heated tobacco use in a variety of public places.
Additionally, a supporting document describes the current recommendation as covering “indoor and enclosed spaces” and that policies for “outdoor spaces, such as schools, playgrounds and outdoor eating establishments” are not included in the scope of the EU recommendation, but rather decided on a case-by-case basis by national or local governments.
The Commission intends to change the recommendation to “explicitly include certain outdoor and quasi-outdoor spaces in the definition of smoke-free environments” and to widen the scope to include not just combustible tobacco, but also far less harmful vaping and heated tobacco use.
There is, of course, no credible evidence that use of these products is harmful to bystanders in either indoor or outdoor public places, but the EU is pointing to highly criticised and flawed reports by the WHO and the SCHEER Committee as its justification.
The NNA has submitted a response to this misguided proposal which you can read below, but it is open to individuals too, so we would encourage all to respond. UK consumers may feel that this does not concern us now that we have left the EU but an order of this kind across the EU will be influential globally and could have an impact here too.
We hope many of you will take the opportunity to have your say before the closing date of 20 July by accessing the call for evidence here where you can download a PDF file detailing the Commission’s plans. Here is how to respond.
- Create an account and choose a password
- Click “give feedback”
- Choose your preferred language
- Type your comments in the box provided and there is also an option to attach a file, should you wish.
- Then, once you are done, click to submit. Your comments will be instantly published.