To mark World No Tobacco Day (today, May 31), the European Commission has launched an initiative aimed at making tobacco products less attractive to young people.

EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said as 70% of smokers in Europe start smoking before the age of 18, the time had come to ban specific tobacco products designed to attract younger smokers.

He said these products should not look like toys or cosmetics, or taste like vanilla or chocolate, but should look and taste like tobacco.

EU member states, under the Irish Presidency will meet with the Commission next month to discuss legislating to ban products such as menthol or vanilla flavoured cigarettes, or slimmer cigsarettes, and to generally make cigarette products less attractive to younger people.

The Commission says pack colours, shapes and openings and tobacco flavourings are especially attractive to young people. It says there is less brand loyalty with cigarettes among young people, and they are more likely to change to other products on the basis that they look more attractive.

For example, it had been shown that packs of slim cigarettes are particularly attractive for young women.

The Commission says it does not propose to ban electronic cigarettes, but it is seeking to ensure that eCigarettes are safe and of good quality and can be developed as a product to help stop people smoking.

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