Sales of regular cigarettes in 10 pack quantities is to be banned by 2016. MEPs have voted for stricter regulations on tobacco across Europe that will come into effect by 2017.
Electronic cigarettes however have been removed from this legislation and are going to be classified similar to nicotine gum and patches and are not going to be banned with the new european laws.
Linda McAvan, Labour MEP who created the law, said new legislation would protect children and youngsters from being marketed too by big cigarette companies, mainly the attractiveness of bright branding, small inexpensive packs and flavoured cigarettes. An article about this, reported by the telegraph, can be viewed here.
The ban on packs of 10 regular cigarettes and the small 12.5g pouches of rolling tobacco, backed by our UK Government, would hit two million British smokers as the findings suggest youngsters buy in packs of ten. Menthol and slim cigarettes however are not set to be banned until 2022.
Sales of e-cigarettes has risen significantly from £2.5million during 2011, up to £23.9million in 2012. This increasing popularity, along with data from studies showing people ARE actually quitting smoking with e-cigarettes, led the European commission to classify e-cigarettes as a medical device, alongside nicotine patches and gum, keeping them away from the new, harsher EU tobacco laws.
Regular cigarette smoking legality is constantly being changed worldwide and this re-classification should help e-cigarette laws not to change as rapidly.
