Latest news with #tobaccocontrol
Mail & Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
‘Vapes are safe alternatives to smoking' — and other lies they tell us
We talked to Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, a member of the WHO's study group on tobacco product regulation, about the 2025 WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, and the Tobacco Bill. (Vaping360/Flickr) Smoking cigarettes on a plane was normal until tobacco control laws put a stop to it. The new normal — taking a puff on any of the latest electronic devices in a shopping centre where smoking isn't allowed. Big Tobacco is good at adapting. With The It is a timely release for South Africa. Our own Bill, meant to better Pages from the playbook The report lays out how Big Tobacco's well-honed tactics — and some new ones — are being used to sell new products and keep legislation to slow sales down at bay. Among these are co-opting the term From WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic report (2025) The industry has also The industry also In many countries, illicit trade can refer to counterfeit products or smuggled foreign cigarettes. But a Ayo-Yusuf agrees: 'It's got nothing to do with tobacco legislation and everything to do with the criminal element in the industry.' Where there's smoke E-cigarettes and vapes — electronic devices that heat a liquid containing additives and chemicals, which are often In fact, inhaling the aerosol from vapes Yet HTPs dodge 'They're violating the current tobacco laws in broad daylight,' says Ayo-Yusuf. 'You cannot market or promote tobacco products. But you see people smoking in public places and you have whole HTP stores and stands in shopping malls.' That's what the Bill is trying to put an end to. It will apply strict laws to newer devices: no use in public spaces; no advertising, online sales or claims that they're less harmful than cigarettes and regulations will require graphic health warnings as well as plain packaging to deter people from using them. If it gets passed in its current form, it will also be the end of fruit-flavoured vapes — which have been We spoke to Ayo-Yusuf about the growing market for heated tobacco, harm reduction and how regulation can keep pace. This is an edited version of our conversation. Zano Kunene (ZK): How well does SA do in tobacco control? Lekan Ayo-Yusuf (LAY): Not well, ZK: Which smoking products are tobacco companies pushing in SA? LAY: Vapes are a big one as we had ZK: What are HTPs and how do they differ from conventional cigarettes? LAY: ZK: Why does the industry call them LAY: The industry has jumped ahead to say they reduce harm, but what we actually know is it The industry says they are targeting smokers trying to quit. The easiest evidence for this would be a drop in cigarette smoking. But since e-cigarettes entered the market in 2010, there is no evidence ZK: Are people swopping cigarettes for these products? LAY: We are not seeing an exchange. Some people are actually smoking heated tobacco or vapes plus their cigarettes. There are also This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
CNN
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking
This summer in Paris, a sunset cigarette under the Eiffel Tower could come with an unexpected price tag. Starting July 1, France has banned smoking in all outdoor areas frequented by children — including parks, beaches, public gardens, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues. The sweeping measure is part of President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to create 'the first tobacco-free generation' by 2032. Lighting up in these zones could cost smokers more than a dirty look from a passerby. Those who break the rules — including unsuspecting tourists — face a fine of 90 euros if they pay within 15 days, going up to 135 euros (around $150) after that. 'France is positioning itself as one of Europe's most proactive countries in terms of tobacco control,' Raquel Venâncio, senior policy officer at Smoke Free Partnership, a coalition of European tobacco control advocacy groups, told CNN. While countries like Spain and Italy have introduced restrictions on smoking in certain areas at local or regional levels, France stands out as the only European country to enforce a nationwide ban against beach smoking. But not all citizens support the new measure. 'The more time goes by, the more the government wants to take away our basic freedoms,' Elise Levaux, a 25-year-old student in Paris, told CNN. 'If you're being respectful — not throwing away cigarette butts in a park or beach, not disturbing others — I don't see the problem. Why should smoking suddenly be treated like a crime?' The restrictions are undoubtedly a major shift in a country long synonymous with cigarette culture. From Brigitte Bardot to Charles de Gaulle, French icons were rarely seen without a Gauloises — the archetypal French brand — in hand. 'France's intellectual circles and cinematic culture have normalized cigarettes for generations,' Venâncio observed. 'For decades, there was no political will to ban smoking.' But the national relationship with tobacco is changing. Smoking in France is at its lowest level since the 1990s, the National Committee against Tobacco (CNCT) reports. Today, around a third of adults in France smoke, with 23% of the adult population saying they smoke daily, according to a 2024 report from the French national public health agency. Tobacco use is declining among young people, with only 16% of 17-year-olds reporting they smoke daily in 2022, the most recent data available — down from 25% six years prior. Still, France remains one of Europe's most tobacco-dependent countries, fueled in part by what officials have called an 'explosion' in cigarette smuggling, largely from Bulgaria, Turkey, and Algeria. In 2024 alone, France consumed an estimated 18.7 billion illicit cigarettes, according to a KPMG study carried out for tobacco giant Philip Morris — accounting for a staggering 38% of tobacco use and making it the largest illicit tobacco market in Europe. Most regular smokers begin in their teenage years, with nearly 90% of them picking up the habit before turning 18, according to the Ministry of Health. 'I've been smoking since I was 14,' said Jane, 25, who declined to give her last name. 'Most of my friends started just as young. Fine or no fine, we're going to continue smoking. It's part of the French identity — we fight for what we want. We're not robots.' In a statement shared with CNN, Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin said that 'protecting youth and denormalizing smoking' is an 'absolute priority' for the government. 'At 17, you should be building your future, not your addiction,' she said. 'Where there are children, tobacco must disappear.' Unlike Belgium and the United Kingdom, which recently prohibited the sale of disposable vapes, France's new rules do not ban e-cigarettes — at least for now. The new regulations do, however, include a reduction in authorized nicotine levels in vaping products, as well as strict limits on flavors like cotton candy, which critics say are designed to appeal to young people. 'These products serve as gateways to addiction and will be regulated, starting in 2026,' Vautrin said. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable health risk in the European Union, causing nearly 700,000 premature deaths each year, according to EU figures. In France alone, it accounts for 75,000 deaths each year — equivalent to 200 deaths per day, according to the country's health ministry. Beyond the direct toll on smokers and those around them, tobacco products also pose an environmental hazard. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 tons of cigarette butts are discarded across France each year, according to the Ministry of Health. France banned the sale of cigarettes to minors under 18 in 2009. But enforcement has been lax: a study by the National Committee against Tobacco (CNCT) found that nearly two-thirds of tobacco shops continue to sell cigarettes to underage customers. And while minors are prohibited from buying tobacco, no law prevents them from smoking — a legal loophole that the government has promised to address in future legislation. In contrast to Sweden — the only European country to have fully banned smoking on restaurant and bar terraces — France continues to permit smoking in these spaces. Even the UK, which has some of Europe's strictest anti-smoking policies, allows smoking in pub gardens. 'We've been trying to push for a ban on terrace smoking for almost a decade, but it's very challenging,' Amélie Eschenbrenner, spokeswoman for the French National Committee for Tobacco Control (CNCT), told CNN. 'Having a cigarette with a glass of wine — it's an integral part of French culture.' But tradition isn't the only barrier. According to Eschenbrenner, the main obstacle to banning terrace smoking is lobbying by the tobacco industry. France has almost 23,000 licensed tabacs — tobacco shops that occupy the corners of many urban streets. A CNCT study found that tobacconists enjoy a level of popular support comparable to that of public health agencies. 'They use their popularity to sway decision-makers, especially parliamentarians,' Eschenbrenner explained. 'That's why enforcing a widespread ban is so difficult.' CNN approached a dozen tobacconists in Paris seeking their view on the new law, but none wanted to speak. Still, change may be on the horizon. 'In 2007, when France enforced a ban on smoking inside restaurants, bars and nightclubs, there was a lot of push-back,' Eschenbrenner recalled. 'But over time, people got used to it and accepted it. The same is likely to happen with these new regulations — and, hopefully, with a future ban on terrace smoking.' As part of its strategy to reduce cancer rates, the European Commission aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the EU population by 2040. In the same vein, France's government has indicated that the latest restrictions may be the first step in a wider crackdown on tobacco. 'Tobacco is poison,' said Vautrin. 'It kills, it costs, it pollutes. I refuse to give up the fight. Every day without tobacco is a life gained. Our goal is clear: a tobacco-free generation — and we have the means to achieve it.'
CNN
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking
This summer in Paris, a sunset cigarette under the Eiffel Tower could come with an unexpected price tag. Starting July 1, France has banned smoking in all outdoor areas frequented by children — including parks, beaches, public gardens, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues. The sweeping measure is part of President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to create 'the first tobacco-free generation' by 2032. Lighting up in these zones could cost smokers more than a dirty look from a passerby. Those who break the rules — including unsuspecting tourists — face a fine of 90 euros if they pay within 15 days, going up to 135 euros (around $150) after that. 'France is positioning itself as one of Europe's most proactive countries in terms of tobacco control,' Raquel Venâncio, senior policy officer at Smoke Free Partnership, a coalition of European tobacco control advocacy groups, told CNN. While countries like Spain and Italy have introduced restrictions on smoking in certain areas at local or regional levels, France stands out as the only European country to enforce a nationwide ban against beach smoking. But not all citizens support the new measure. 'The more time goes by, the more the government wants to take away our basic freedoms,' Elise Levaux, a 25-year-old student in Paris, told CNN. 'If you're being respectful — not throwing away cigarette butts in a park or beach, not disturbing others — I don't see the problem. Why should smoking suddenly be treated like a crime?' The restrictions are undoubtedly a major shift in a country long synonymous with cigarette culture. From Brigitte Bardot to Charles de Gaulle, French icons were rarely seen without a Gauloises — the archetypal French brand — in hand. 'France's intellectual circles and cinematic culture have normalized cigarettes for generations,' Venâncio observed. 'For decades, there was no political will to ban smoking.' But the national relationship with tobacco is changing. Smoking in France is at its lowest level since the 1990s, the National Committee against Tobacco (CNCT) reports. Today, around a third of adults in France smoke, with 23% of the adult population saying they smoke daily, according to a 2024 report from the French national public health agency. Tobacco use is declining among young people, with only 16% of 17-year-olds reporting they smoke daily in 2022, the most recent data available — down from 25% six years prior. Still, France remains one of Europe's most tobacco-dependent countries, fueled in part by what officials have called an 'explosion' in cigarette smuggling, largely from Bulgaria, Turkey, and Algeria. In 2024 alone, France consumed an estimated 18.7 billion illicit cigarettes, according to a KPMG study carried out for tobacco giant Philip Morris — accounting for a staggering 38% of tobacco use and making it the largest illicit tobacco market in Europe. Most regular smokers begin in their teenage years, with nearly 90% of them picking up the habit before turning 18, according to the Ministry of Health. 'I've been smoking since I was 14,' said Jane, 25, who declined to give her last name. 'Most of my friends started just as young. Fine or no fine, we're going to continue smoking. It's part of the French identity — we fight for what we want. We're not robots.' In a statement shared with CNN, Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin said that 'protecting youth and denormalizing smoking' is an 'absolute priority' for the government. 'At 17, you should be building your future, not your addiction,' she said. 'Where there are children, tobacco must disappear.' Unlike Belgium and the United Kingdom, which recently prohibited the sale of disposable vapes, France's new rules do not ban e-cigarettes — at least for now. The new regulations do, however, include a reduction in authorized nicotine levels in vaping products, as well as strict limits on flavors like cotton candy, which critics say are designed to appeal to young people. 'These products serve as gateways to addiction and will be regulated, starting in 2026,' Vautrin said. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable health risk in the European Union, causing nearly 700,000 premature deaths each year, according to EU figures. In France alone, it accounts for 75,000 deaths each year — equivalent to 200 deaths per day, according to the country's health ministry. Beyond the direct toll on smokers and those around them, tobacco products also pose an environmental hazard. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 tons of cigarette butts are discarded across France each year, according to the Ministry of Health. France banned the sale of cigarettes to minors under 18 in 2009. But enforcement has been lax: a study by the National Committee against Tobacco (CNCT) found that nearly two-thirds of tobacco shops continue to sell cigarettes to underage customers. And while minors are prohibited from buying tobacco, no law prevents them from smoking — a legal loophole that the government has promised to address in future legislation. In contrast to Sweden — the only European country to have fully banned smoking on restaurant and bar terraces — France continues to permit smoking in these spaces. Even the UK, which has some of Europe's strictest anti-smoking policies, allows smoking in pub gardens. 'We've been trying to push for a ban on terrace smoking for almost a decade, but it's very challenging,' Amélie Eschenbrenner, spokeswoman for the French National Committee for Tobacco Control (CNCT), told CNN. 'Having a cigarette with a glass of wine — it's an integral part of French culture.' But tradition isn't the only barrier. According to Eschenbrenner, the main obstacle to banning terrace smoking is lobbying by the tobacco industry. France has almost 23,000 licensed tabacs — tobacco shops that occupy the corners of many urban streets. A CNCT study found that tobacconists enjoy a level of popular support comparable to that of public health agencies. 'They use their popularity to sway decision-makers, especially parliamentarians,' Eschenbrenner explained. 'That's why enforcing a widespread ban is so difficult.' CNN approached a dozen tobacconists in Paris seeking their view on the new law, but none wanted to speak. Still, change may be on the horizon. 'In 2007, when France enforced a ban on smoking inside restaurants, bars and nightclubs, there was a lot of push-back,' Eschenbrenner recalled. 'But over time, people got used to it and accepted it. The same is likely to happen with these new regulations — and, hopefully, with a future ban on terrace smoking.' As part of its strategy to reduce cancer rates, the European Commission aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the EU population by 2040. In the same vein, France's government has indicated that the latest restrictions may be the first step in a wider crackdown on tobacco. 'Tobacco is poison,' said Vautrin. 'It kills, it costs, it pollutes. I refuse to give up the fight. Every day without tobacco is a life gained. Our goal is clear: a tobacco-free generation — and we have the means to achieve it.'
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
We should tackle climate change with the same will that paved way for the smoking ban
Ireland still performs well below most other EU member states when it comes to climate action. But when it comes to public health, we have a standout example of an effective public health campaign that saved lives: the anti-smoking campaign. On March 29th 2004, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban indoor smoking at bars, restaurants and places of work. It was a remarkable political achievement for then-Minister for Health Micheál Martin , whose political skills were critical to getting the ban over the line. Martin established an Office of Tobacco Control within the Department of Health and ensured it had the resources and political backing to take on the tobacco industry. Supporting the ban was an unprecedented alliance of civil society organisations, trade unions and health professionals. Restrictions on the advertising and sale of tobacco have been accompanied by strict enforcement by environmental health officers, with fines of €3,000 for noncompliance. Additionally, hefty excise duties on tobacco raised the cost of smoking. Since 2009, there has been a complete ban on tobacco advertising. By any metric, the measures have worked. According to the HSE , there are 800,000 fewer smokers today, with smoking rates down from 27 per cent in 2004 to 18 per cent in 2023, largely attributable to the ban and the shift in social norms. Luke Clancy is a professor of respiratory medicine and was one of the leading campaigners for the smoking ban. He claims that it has saved 1,500 lives a year since its introduction. But the HSE is not finished yet: its vision is an Ireland free from the harms caused by smoking . READ MORE In 2004, policymakers feared a public backlash and widespread noncompliance. The hospitality industry warned of big drops in revenue. The support of trade union Mandate, which represented bar workers, for the campaign against tobacco swung public support in favour of the restrictions. So, what can we learn from the tobacco control measures? Firstly, presenting climate policies as protective of public health creates the possibility of different motivations, new alliances and new policy instruments. This can help bypass the criticisms of 'nanny state', especially they are proven to work. Climate change is fundamentally a health issue. It will maim and kill and bring about human suffering and illness on an unprecedented scale, affecting those with underlying health conditions the most, just like smoking. Policies that only tinker with incremental changes at the margins give the fossil fuel industry more time to rebrand itself and fight back with pseudo-solutions. An office of fossil fuel control (OFFC) in the Department of Health should be leading the fight against fossil fuel products, using regulation, litigation, subsidies and behaviour-modification strategies in the interest of public health. Let's make meat-free menus, public transport and renewable energy services the cheaper default Nudge architecture, or choice architecture, is the practice of designing how choices are presented to influence decision-making. This has proven successful in deterring people from taking up smoking: taxes have raised costs and bans have made people think twice before engaging in damaging behaviours. The HSE acknowledges that for people on low incomes, a smoking habit is hugely expensive, so it has specific outreach programmes for disadvantaged communities. While governments should of course target fossil fuel supply and distribution, we should not underestimate the potential for tapping into loss aversion and social proof as proven ways to reshape the system from within. To start with, the OFFC could introduce measures to deter high-carbon behaviours that risk public health. Fossil fuel products could contain graphic warnings to raise public awareness. This could be extended to air travel tickets and red meat products. Let's make meat-free menus, public transport and renewable energy services the cheaper default, not the exception. Make car parking in towns and city centres inconvenient and expensive in comparison to park-and-ride, public transport and active travel. Data centres place a huge drain on power, so there is a very strong argument to ban developing any more of them. [ Sorry, kids. We blew your climate budget - but we really love our SUVs Opens in new window ] [ Nicotine pouches in schools: 'This is heading towards epidemic proportions' Opens in new window ] Taxes and pricing can play a role too, such as frequent flyer levies and advertising bans that draw attention to high-carbon lifestyles. Public health messaging could highlight the health impacts of climate change and the benefits of clean air, renewable energy, green jobs and sustainable transport as well as addressing misinformation and building support for climate action. Perhaps, just like the HSE's Quit smoking cessation programme, the Government could stop subsidising fossil fuels and instead provide hands-on practical support to individuals and communities while investing in realistic, affordable alternatives. More strategically, we need to support litigation against big fossil fuel companies and make them liable for continuing to poison the Earth decades after they knew about the effects of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere.
