The European Court of Justice on 22 November decided against overturning the European Union-wide ban on the smokeless tobacco snus. The ruling displays a political public health motivation, writes Bill Wirtz, policy analyst for the Consumer Choice Centre, for EU Reporter. In January last year, the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) appealed against the 1992 EU-ban on the smokeless tobacco […]
MEDICAL FACTS: De Nederlandse overheid probeert om, samen met de Belgische overheid, een van de nieuwe landen in Europa te worden die neutrale verpakkingen voor tabakswaren invoert. Deze maatregel zou Nederland met dezelfde ongewenste gevolgen opzadelen als die reeds zichtbaar zijn in landen waar neutrale verpakkingen reeds de norm zijn. Bill Wirtz, beleidsanalist voor het […]
WORLD TRADEMARK REVIEW: Advocacy group criticises Canadian cannabis plain-packaging regime – The Consumer Choice Center (CCC), a global advocacy group focused on consumer choice and market access, has issued a strongly-worded press release on plain packaging in Canada. In it, the group criticises the Canadian government for its strict branding and packaging restrictions on the legal cannabis market. A […]
The Federal Government of Canada is enacting strict branding and packaging restrictions on the legal cannabis market. More specifically, Health Canada has taken the framework of plain packaging tobacco products including cigarettes and cigars, and applied many aspects of that legislation to how legal cannabis products must appear. This mandate from Health Canada limits consumer choice, according […]
Technological advances touch every aspect of our lives, often in ways we rarely think about. Today, we live longer, healthier, and better lives because of our access to innovative products that were unimaginable in the recent past. That’s why it’s critical for regulators to make timely and common-sense decisions. Yet excessive risk-aversion is endemic at […]
CONTACT: Luca Bertoletti European Affairs Manager Consumer Choice Center France’s tobacco branding ban fails to deliver: An alternative approach is needed Brussels, BE – After more than a year with a branding ban on tobacco products, new numbers published by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addiction reveal that cigarette sales have been cut by less than 0.7 […]
DIE WELT: Wir sind Erwachsene, und ja, manchmal treffen wir Entscheidungen, die ungesund sind: Wir trinken Alkohol, essen Tiefkühlpizza, rauchen Zigaretten. Die Antwort kann aber nicht sein, den Verbrauch zu verbieten. Solche Regulierungen widersprechen nicht nur der persönlichen Freiheit.”
HUFFINGTON POST: The world is paying attention to Canada right now. Two very important pieces of legislation on consumer products are being debated, which could provide many lessons for the world.
HUFFINGTON POST: Es wäre an der Zeit, dass die internationale Gesundheitslobby das Scheitern von Plain Packaging zugibt, Politik wieder Evidenz folgt und damit aufhört Daten und Fakten zu ignorieren.
NEWSMAX: On this day, Dec. 1, five years ago, the Australian government implemented the mandatory plain packaging of all tobacco products. This means that cigarettes, rolled tobacco, and the likes, can only be sold in packs that do not show the particular brand in question.
