After four years of phasing out, the ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes applies from this Wednesday throughout the European Union. The new tobacco legislation passed in 2014 and implemented since 2016 has long anticipated the disappearance of flavored cigarettes, including menthol. They represented 5% market share in 2018.
Scientific studies have shown that flavors facilitate inhalation and can play a role in initiating tobacco use in young people. They have also been associated with greater addiction.
30% of the market in Poland
In Poland, a country where menthol cigarettes represent almost 30% of the market, according to the Chamber of Commerce, the expiration of the ban has taken many smokers by surprise. Consumer organization Forum Konsumentow has published a survey which shows that one week before the deadline, 51% of smokers were unaware of the ban and 20% said they were ready to buy menthol cigarettes at the market black.
In the Netherlands, consumers have prepared the transition with reservations, according to local media. “In recent months, customers have started to buy more and more. People are really a little worried, ”said Mary Gram, tobacconist in the coastal town of Monster, interviewed by the public channel NOS. Note that other countries on the continent still allow the sale of these cigarettes, such as Switzerland.
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