Alastair Cohen - Clearing the Air

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“Plainly absurd and wholly unacceptable” – Swedish Socialists demand Strasbourg travel ban

Swedish Socialists in the European Parliament have demanded that MEPs not travel to Strasbourg while French law levies potential five year prison terms for anyone found in possession of nicotine pouches. The French plan was first reported by Clearing the Air. A…

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Consumers urge Sweden to veto EU Tobacco Tax

Nine organisations representing users of safer nicotine products have called on the Swedish Government to veto Brussels plans to impose huge tax increases on vapes and nicotine pouches, calling the plans “fundamentally flawed” and “a direct threat to the Swedish Model”. The…

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EXCLUSIVE: EU puts huge vape tax increase back on the table

The EU’s minimum tax on vapes will be increased by 50% according to a new draft of the Tobacco Taxation Directive dated 18th February and seen by Clearing the Air. In a previous proposal, the minimum rate for vapes was set at…

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Harm reduction critics reject Sweden’s success in reducing smoking

A tightly controlled webinar that excluded many consumer voices has mounted a sharp attack on Sweden’s world-leading record on smoking reduction - dismissing the role of safer nicotine products and questioning the science behind harm reduction. The closed-door forum, Sweden: Setting it…

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Germany Moves to Ban Menthol Vapes in Sweeping Crackdown on “Cooling” Additives

Germany is preparing to outlaw menthol and a long list of “cooling” additives used in e-cigarettes, in what could become one of the toughest vape flavour crackdowns in Europe. A draft regulation from the Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Homeland would…

News Science

“Factually wrong”: experts destroy study used by EU Commission to justify nicotine clampdown

An academic article used by EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi to justify his assertion that safer nicotine products are as dangerous as smoking has been taken apart by a leading tobacco and nicotine expert. “In my view this is not a scientific review,…

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EU to fast track new nicotine laws: proposal expected next year

The European Commission has announced that revisions to its tobacco control laws will be fast tracked, with a proposal now expected next year. A leaked draft of its Cardiovascular plan - now renamed the Safe Hearts Plan - obtained by EurActiv and…

News Legislation

DOCUMENT: EU Health Ministers to discuss new curbs on safer nicotine products

EU Health Ministers will tomorrow discuss new restrictions on “novel tobacco and nicotine products” at a closed door lunch, according to a briefing document seen by Clearing the Air and published here (email signup required). The working lunch “will allow Member States…

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Europe agreed not to ban safer nicotine products. Now Denmark wants to ban them anyway.

Denmark and the European Commission want to bind the whole of the EU to banning vapes and nicotine pouches, according to negotiating documents circulated this evening and seen by Clearing the Air. The full document is available here. The ban - which…

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