The European Commission has proposed a ban on the sale of flavoured heated tobacco products, including some vaping items, as part of its plan to fight cancer.
Proposals come in response to a significant increase in the volume of such products sold across the 27-nation bloc. A recent commission study showed a 10% increase in sales of heated tobacco products in more than five member nations, while heated tobacco products exceeded 2.5% of total sales of tobacco products overall across the region.
The ban would not cover all vaping devices, only those delivering heated tobacco. Many e-cigarettes only contain nicotine. Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner for health and food safety, said: "With nine out of 10 lung cancers caused by tobacco, we want to make smoking as unattractive as possible to protect the health of our citizens and save lives."
