SMOKE FREE PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

The 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, released by the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control in partnership with STOP,  reveals that tobacco-industry interference is not only a European concern but a global trend that’s intensifying.

While a few governments have made real progress in protecting policymaking from industry influence, most are still not doing enough to implement and enforce Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, which requires parties to protect public health from tobacco-industry influence.

La Commission européenne prévoit une vaste réforme de la fiscalité sur les produits contenant de la nicotine. L’objectif de cette révision de la directive européenne sur la taxation du tabac : réduire efficacement la consommation de tabac en relevant les taux minimaux d’imposition. Les barèmes actuellement en vigueur datent de 2010 et sont, selon la Commission, devenus obsolètes et inefficaces.

Lisez le communiqué de presse ci-dessous:

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) has released a new paper exploring the growing use of the term harm reduction by the tobacco and e-cigarette industry. These industries increasingly present harm reduction as the key solution to minimizing the health risks of smoking—encouraging smokers to switch to so-called less harmful products. However, the paper highlights that behind this narrative lies a clear motive: protecting sales and securing profits, rather than prioritizing public health.

Read more about this critical analysis and its implications for policy and public awareness.

In an interview given to Le Parisien, on October 29, Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq announced the upcoming ban on nicotine pouches, which are very popular among young people. Similar products such as nicotine pearls will also be affected by the ban. The minister stated that these are dangerous and toxic products because they contain high doses of nicotine.

Health, waste and enforcement organisations welcome the Government’s decision to proceed with a ban on the sale of disposable vapes from the 1^st June next year. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Material Focus and Chartered Trading Standards Institute have worked collaboratively to raise concerns about the impact of these single-use products on the environment and their links to the increase in teen vaping.

In today’s King’s Speech the Government announced that reintroduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was an early priority for the Government in the forthcoming session. 

SFP's tax expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Working Paper on the effects of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD) on novel products and combustibles. The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely.  

SFP's Tax Expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Policy Brief on the effects of the unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD) on novel products and combustibles. The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

COP10 and MOP3 brought together delegations from around the world and though we saw some big wins for tobacco control, there remain major gaps that need to be addressed. Throughout the last two weeks, civil society worked hard to move the agenda forward and work collaboratively with Parties to advance tobacco control.

L'expert fiscal de la SFP, le Professeur Ángel López-Nicolás de l'Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena en Espagne, a publié cette Note Politique sur l'effet d'un projet non officiel de la Directive Révisée sur la Taxe sur le Tabac (Tobacco Tax Directive, TTD) de la Commission Européenne. La TTD révisée devait être lancée en décembre 2022, mais elle a été reportée indéfiniment. 

Sweden has implemented various decisive policy changes over time that has led to its slow smoking rate. A steady increase of taxes, age limit, ban on tobacco advertising, oversight mechanisms, early introduction of smoking-free public spaces and cost-free smoke cessation services have all proven successful to reach the current level. 

Smoking is one of the main causes of disease and/or preventable death in Belgium. For this reason, the federal government is stepping up the battle against smoking. 

SFP's Tax Expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Policy Brief on the effect of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD). The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

SFP's tax expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Working Paper on the effect of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD). The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

Announcing a new interactive data analytics platform to monitor FCTC treaty implementation

The Comité National Contre Le Tabagisme (CNCT), one of the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) main partners, has published a White Paper on how to achieve a tobacco free generation, as well as a series of proposals for the French National Tobacco Control Programme 2023-2027. According to CNCT Director Yves Martinet, "the purpose of this White Paper is to clearly highlight the multiple contributions of civil society in the fight against tobacco, and the essential role it has to play in the achievement of a tobacco- free generation. With manufacturers constantly developing new nicotine- based products and seeking to renew their market, actions led by civil society appear to be more crucial than ever."

The sale of cigarettes is incredibly profitable for tobacco giants. In 2018, the six biggest tobacco producers made a tidy sum of 55 billion dollars in profit. That's more than Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestlé, Mondelez, Fedex, General Mills (including Häagen-Dazs), Starbucks, Heineken and Carlsberg put together.

The Comité National Contre Le Tabagisme (CNCT), one of the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) main partners, was instrumental in the incorporation of a mention of Article 5.3 in the ethics guide that was disseminated to all members of the French National Assembly.

The second edition of the SFP Newsletter is out.

Learn about policy updates, SFP policy materials submitted to the Commission and read the news from our partners.

On 25 July, Trends published a long interview with Frederic De Wilde, CEO of Philip Morris Europe. He labels his company as a good example of a sector in transition. But is this credible? Other newspapers published an article on 23 June regarding PMI’s takeovers and investments in wellness and healthcare, of all things.    

31 May is World No Tobacco Day, organized by WHO, World Health Organization. This year, 16 Swedish anti-tobacco organizations are investing in showing the difference between genuine joy and belonging and the false image conveyed in advertising for new nicotine products. With the help of Tiktok stars and Silent Disco flashmobs are organized around Sweden to sound the alarm that more and more young people are starting with white snus and puff bars.

In February 2022, the advertising agency Mediatransports twice refused to allow the French public health group, ACT-Alliance contre le tabac to advertise in the Parisian subway and railway stations. The blocked advertisements are from ACT’s latest campaign “Change their future” which denounces the tobacco industry’s exploitation of young people.

SFP is joining its voice to 11 organisations to support the report developed by the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA); and call on Members of the European Parliament to adopt the report during the plenary vote of February with no weakening of its recommendations on cancer prevention.