ASH Ireland welcomes the decision of the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee’s decision to adopt the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
The main measures adopted were:
The inclusion of Mandatory pictorial warnings covering 75% of front and back of cigarette packs;
A ban on slim cigarettes;
A ban on flavours and restriction on additives in tobacco;
The reinforcing of the anti-smuggling and anti-illicit trade measures throughout the EU.
Dr Ross Morgan said “I want to compliment the Environmental, Public Health and Safety Committee in the European Parliament on taking this important health initiative to the next stage. This Tobacco Products Directive, if enacted, can potentially be one of the most important health initiatives taken in Europe this decade. I now expect that the European Parliament will proceed with this initiative in September and that the on-going and sustained efforts by the Tobacco Industry to block and circumvent it will be prevented at every level. It is also important to note that this Tobacco Products Directive freely allows individual countries to take additional anti-tobacco measures and Minister James Reilly has already set the tone in this regard with his proposal to introduce plain packaging on all tobacco products on sale in Ireland.”
ENDS
For contact: Wally Young, Young Communications: 087-2471520
ASH Ireland: 0818-305055
ASH Ireland 