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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Health Policy. 2014 Nov 8;119(1):57–65. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.11.002

Table 1.

Options for the respondents in the DGSANCO public consultation on the possible revision of tobacco product directive.

Scope of the directive Smokeless tobacco products Consumer information Reporting and registration of ingredients Regulation of ingredients Access to tobacco products
Current directive (2001/37/EC) Limited to products containing tobacco (i.e. e-cigarettes and herbal cigarettes are not subject to the TPD) Oral tobacco (snus) banned outside Sweden General health warning, (e.g. “Smoking kills”), covering not less than 30% of the front side, and a specific text warning (e.g. “Smoking causes fatal lung cancer”), covering not less than 40% of the back side Member States apply various forms and reporting mechanisms No regulation besides maximum levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide National measures on limiting access to tobacco products
Revision option 1 No change No change No change No change No change No change
Revision option 2 Extend the scope of the Directive to include novel forms of oral tobacco, herbal cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems Lifting the ban on snus Improve consumer information by (a) making picture warnings mandatory, (b) placing tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels with general information on harmful substances in tobacco products (TP), (c) placing information on harmful substances in TP that cannot be placed on the package inside the package, (d) putting health warnings on water pipes Establish a common compulsory reporting format Introducing the basic criteria for tobacco product ingredients on the EU level without common list of allowed or banned ingredients Controlled supply and access to tobacco products by (a) setting age verification of buyers and other legal conditions for cross-border retail sale, (b) restricting access to vending machines to adults, (c) restricting tobacco display and promotion at points of sales
Revision option 3 Ban all types of smokeless tobacco products Introduce generic or plain packaging Introduce fees to be paid for national authorities and sanctions for manufacturers Establish a common list of banned or allowed tobacco ingredients Ban (a) cross-border retail sales of tobacco over the internet, (b) vending machines, (c) promotion and displays in retail stores