Bye Bye Menthol Cigarettes
Say Goodbye To Menthol Cigarettes, Skinny Cigarettes and Rollups
In May 2020, new laws which stem from the EU TPD regulations will come in that will ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, skinny cigarettes and roll ups throughout the United Kingdom. The movement has been welcomed by a variety of anti-smoking organisations and charities.
The new regulations come in to effect to deter young people and new users from taking up the habit. It has also be argued that menthol cigarettes make it easier for people to start smoking because the menthol flavour disguises the harsh taste of traditional cigarettes. There was a belief that menthol cigarettes were safer than traditional cigarettes at one point but this was never proven and most experts believe they are just as harmful and produce the same negative health effects. For example, lung cancer.
Phillip Morris, a European cigarette manufacturer, attempted to appeal the law but it was rejected by the European Courts of Justice.
Cigarettes are currently only permitted to be sold in packs of 20, as part of a wider plan to create a smoke free society. This significantly increased the cost of smoking when it first come in and with rollups also now being band, smokers who use roll ups will see a significant rise in the cost to smoke.
Smoking cigarettes is one of biggest causes of preventable deaths worldwide, with an estimated 8 million smoking related deaths per year. 1.2 million of those deaths are thought to be caused by being exposed to secondhand smoke.
Sources & References