Make them “unattractive”. heated tobacco productstreating them on an equal footing with the classics cigarettestrying it Ministry of Health. The draft Law on Pharmaceutical Associations, which has been submitted to Parliament, includes a provision for the adoption of a Community Directive banning, from 23 October 2023, the placing on the market of heated tobacco products with flavorings that change their smell or taste, as is the case with cigarettes or hand-rolled tobacco products. Accordingly, it also requires heated tobacco products to display verbal warnings on the outer packaging, such as “smoking causes 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer”, “smoking causes a heart attack” or “smoking increases the risk of sexual impotence”. which we see in all packs of cigarettes – tobacco.

“Like Cigarettes”

“The rationale is that these are tobacco products and require the same regulations as cigarettes.” notes on “K” Associate Professor of Pulmonology at the Medical School of the Athens University of Applied Sciences, Coordinator of the Infection Group and former President of the Hellenic Lung Association Smoking Cessation Group and former President of the European Lung Association Tobacco Control Group, Friday Catsaunu. As he notes, “In fact, the presence of several flavors in these products makes them extremely attractive to young people. Although heated tobacco products were intended for smokers who are unable to quit as a less harmful alternative, they have become very attractive and appeal to non-smokers as well. Now that smoking is out of fashion among young people, the starting point for consumption is heated. And the marketing policy of these products now resembles that of classic cigarettes decades ago. Although there are no official reliable studies on the prevalence of heated tobacco products, we all see around us how widespread their use is.”

Ms Catsaunow adds, “and we have to keep in mind that the final product obtained by heating tobacco and the aromatics used in it is unknown and what effect it has on health.” When asked if heated tobacco products are dangerous, Ms. Katsaunowu answers in the affirmative. “According to the scientific community, they may be less harmful than cigarettes in the short term because they produce less concentrated chemicals, but this does not guarantee that they will not cause future harm with continued use. It’s like someone telling you, “Don’t run at 500 kilometers an hour, run at 300.” Of course, 300 kilometers is less, but in both cases there is a risk. And such dilemmas only arise when you have no alternative.”

Sales increase

The Community Directive adopted in our country was issued in June last year after a large increase in sales of heated tobacco products in EU countries was noted. From 2019 to 2020, sales of heated tobacco products at the retail level increased by at least 10% in at least five countries, according to an EU report. In Greece, sales growth in 2020 (compared to 2019) was 25%. It is estimated that in the last quarter of 2022, heated tobacco products accounted for 18.1% of the total tobacco market in our country.

“The development and distribution of new tobacco products requires an update of the institutional framework”, notes on “K” Secretary General of Public Health, Irini Agapidakis. The next step for Greece, she said, will be to update and tighten the anti-smoking law in the direction of clarifying the bans on the use of new tobacco products and places where smoking is prohibited. According to Ms. Agapidakis, the update aims to “avoid any ‘misunderstandings’ for those who do not want to stick to the existing structure.”