On 9 November 2021, from 13:00 to 14:00 CET, ENSP organised a side event during COP9 of the WHO FCTC on Implementation of Articles 9 and 10. 

Under Articles 9 and 10 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), Parties are called to regulate contents and disclosure of tobacco products. A key element entails prohibiting or restricting ingredients that may be used to increase palatability in tobacco products, including flavourings. Effective implementation of this measure requires a greater understanding of the different regulatory approaches, what challenges Parties may be faced with, and how documents for the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO FCTC can be used to facilitate progress.

This session had three main objectives: 

1) To guide Parties on how to use COP documents to maximise implementation of measures to regulate tobacco contents, including flavourings;

2) To help Parties gain an understanding of the nuances of a ban on characterising flavours vs a total ban on flavour additives in tobacco products;

3) To provide Parties with country examples and recommendations for how to mitigate industry challenges surrounding the regulation of flavours in tobacco products.

This virtual side event of the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), organized by the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention*, featured expert speakers that discussed more in detail the topic during the Q&A session.

You can find below their presentations:

The impact of the menthol cigarette ban in Canada on smoking cessation – Prof. Geoffrey FONG

Banning characterising flavours: The case of the EU – Dr. Constantine VARDAVAS

Lessons to learn from the industry responses to menthol and flavour bans – Dr. Rosemary HISCOCK

Implementation and effects of tobacco flavour bans – Dr. Krzysztof PRZEWOZNIAK and Christina KYRIAKOS