Polish Ministry Of Health:The Surge in The Use Of New Tobacco Products Will Lead To Legislation Banning Disposable And Flavored Electronic Cigarettes

Polish Ministry of Health: The surge in the use of new tobacco products will lead to legislation banning disposable and flavored electronic cigarettes

The Polish Ministry of Health pointed out in a parliamentary committee that the market for new tobacco products is growing rapidly and poses a threat to young people, and revealed that Poland is pushing for a bill that includes a ban on disposable and all flavored e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, although considering regulatory restrictions on smoking on residential balconies, it is believed that implementation is unlikely.

According to Prawo On October 25th, PL reported that Wojciech Konieczny, Deputy Minister of Health of Poland, discussed the latest information on traditional and new tobacco products at a parliamentary committee.

The deputy minister pointed out that in the 1980s, the nicotine addiction rate in Poland was very high, with almost one in every two Poles smoking (over 42% of the population). By 2022, this proportion has decreased to 28.8%. However, the situation of new tobacco products is not optimistic. According to data from the European Commission, the market for heated tobacco products (HTP) has grown by 2009% in recent years. Young people often see these products as less harmful alternatives, but Koneckini emphasizes that this cannot be confirmed at present. On the contrary, people are increasingly concerned about the inadequate control of e-liquid in electronic cigarettes, which may contain harmful substances.

During the discussion, some legislators pointed out that flavored electronic cigarettes pose a huge threat to young people. The current revised draft of seasoning tobacco regulations is insufficient to completely ban it. Ma ł gorzata Niemczyk, a member of parliament for the Koalicji Obywatelskiej Citizens' Union, said that flavored e-cigarettes are now almost everywhere and the packaging is attractive. She called for a unified treatment of the packaging of these products.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that the goal of the Ministry of Health is to eliminate harmful health substances from the market as much as possible, regardless of their form. He revealed that two bills are currently being pushed forward, including a proposal to ban disposable electronic cigarettes, which is expected to involve all flavored electronic cigarettes. However, the specific implementation time has not yet been determined.

In addition, Civic Union member Gabriela Lenartowicz also raised the issue of smoking on balconies and terraces, which has repeatedly appeared in petitions submitted to the House of Representatives over the years. The deputy minister responded that although Poland is considering regulatory restrictions, the proposal to ban smoking on residential balconies is considered unlikely. He pointed out that private residences are not considered public places, so they are unlikely to be included in the smoking ban. However, residents can set their own smoking bans in public areas through the apartment association.