01 The German Electronic Cigarette Association opposes a ban on menthol in e-cigarettes
Since spring 2024, the BMEL has been reviewing the menthol ban in e-cigarettes again. In order to implement such a ban through regulations based on TabakerzG Article 13 (2), it must be proven that the use of menthol in liquid causes foreseeable health damage. VdeH emphasizes that the scientific and legal requirements for a menthol ban are not sufficient. The use of menthol in e-cigarettes does not pose any risk to human health that can justify the ban.
Here are some details:
1. Menthol in e-cigarette liquid poses no risk to health
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in 2019 that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of menthol per kilogram of body weight is 4 milligrams of menthol. For a 70-kilogram adult, the healthy and safe total daily intake of menthol is 280 milligrams. Even if used for a lifetime, this dose is considered harmless to health. For comparison: the consumption of menthol is equivalent to about 15 doses of cough medicine or peppermint gum, which does not pose a health risk to consumers.
2. Menthol in e-cigarette liquid does not make inhalation easier or increase nicotine absorption
When vaping e-cigarettes, no irritating or cough-inducing combustion products are produced, and their effects may have to be masked by additives. In 2015, the BfR assessed the relevance of menthol in promoting inhalation in e-cigarettes as very low. Clinical studies have found no evidence that menthol increases nicotine absorption. On the contrary: Professor Mayer of the University of Graz's report concluded that the use of menthol can lower the required nicotine concentration in the liquid.
3. Menthol ban: Germany's special approach that is detrimental to manufacturers, retailers, and consumers in Germany
Any EU member state has not yet issued a specific ban on menthol. In most EU countries, the flavors of e-cigarette liquid are not The study, conducted by researchers at UCL and published in the journal Addiction, investigated the use of nicotine-containing e-liquids by 7,314 adults in England who vaped between July 2016 and January 2024, as well as the changes in the nicotine content of the e-liquids they used. The study found that the number of people using e-liquids with a nicotine content of 20 mg/ml or higher in the UK, which is the legal maximum, has increased dramatically.
03 UK government supports e-cigarettes
After the general election, the Labour Party formed a new government, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointing ministers who would influence e-cigarette policy. The government's chief scientific adviser remains Professor Angela McLean, and the Labour Party plans to support the Conservative Party's Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes Bill in the previous parliament.
The Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes Bill aims to: 1: Restrict e-cigarette flavors to mint, menthol, tobacco, and "fruits"; 2: Restrict packaging design and labeling; 3: Restrict the display of e-cigarettes in stores; 4: Prohibit the provision of free samples to those under 18; 5: The new government is committed to banning disposable e-cigarettes. The Labour Party has not commented on the proposed taxation of e-cigarette products.
04 New Zealand, snuff and chewing tobacco to be part of its tobacco harm reduction strategy
The Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) strongly encourages the New Zealand government to legalize snuff and chewing tobacco as part of its tobacco harm reduction strategy. The organization believes that these products have been proven to be highly effective in reducing smoking rates in Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden and Norway, where the smoking rates are currently among the lowest in Europe. These products provide smokers with a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and can significantly accelerate New Zealand's progress towards a smoke-free goal. The evidence from Sweden and Norway clearly shows that snuff and nicotine pouches can significantly reduce smoking rates without leading to Last year, over 100 million "disposable" devices were sold, which do not contain nicotine. In February, the Ministry of Health announced that they would be banned altogether by the summer. However, there is no ban, and the Ministry of Health has only raised the legal age for purchasing such sweetener-based e-cigarettes.
The Minister of Health stated, "We hope to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes entirely from the fall onwards, and this ban is important because the government plans to implement the EU directive to ban flavored (mainly menthol) heated tobacco products."
Over 90% of the disposable e-cigarettes we sell have fruit, drink or sweet flavors. The vast majority contain nicotine. They are almost all made in China, and since such e-cigarettes have the potential to attract children, China has banned their sale.