Research on ENDS and the national and EU legislation
Constantine Vardavas, Hellenic Cancer Society
The European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) provides a unique framework for the regulation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) across 28 European Union Member States and covering a population of over 500 million Europeans. Article 20 of the TPD focuses on the regulation of e-cigarettes and includes provisions aiming to harmonise the safety and quality specifications for e-cigarettes, including but not limited to the volume of the refill container, the nicotine content and the existence of child-resistant refill containers. Moreover, to gather more information on the ingredients contained in tobacco products and their effects on health and addiction, manufacturers and importers of tobacco products are required to report on ingredients in all products they place on the EU market through a standardised electronic format. Health warnings for e-cigarettes become mandatory advising consumers that e-cigarettes contain nicotine and should not be used by non-smokers; Packaging must also include a list of all ingredients contained in the product, information on the product’s nicotine content and a leaflet setting out instructions for use and information on adverse effects, risk groups and addictiveness and toxicity.
Within this presentation Dr Vardavas will present the current strengths and limitations of national and EU wide legislations related to ENDS regulation and use and will also present major successes and areas that warrant further research. Key areas of the talk will cover the technical and design parameters of e-cigarette use, the implementation of warning labels on e-cigarette packaging, the potential population-based impact of the TPD on e-cigarette use and the strategic importance of harmonizing data collection across the EU.
Constantine Vardavas (MD, RN, MPH, PhD, FCCP) is a medical epidemiologist with a specific postgraduate training at an MPH, PhD and postdoc level on tobacco product regulation and science. Dr. Vardavas has been the PI or co-I on a number of tobacco regulatory grants at an international level, and is experienced in organizing and implementing large public health initiatives and European Commission funded projects. He is an internationally recognized expert on tobacco product ingredients and additives, the electronic reporting of tobacco products, and European public health initiatives. For his efforts he was awarded the American Cancer Society “Luther L. Terry” Young Pioneer Award in 2018. Dr Vardavas is also an Adjunct Associate professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, USA and a Lecturer at Harvard University.