A proposal to ban cigarette filters has raised eyebrows across the EU. While the bloc supports the idea in principle, it has so far refused to implement a measure that could significantly reduce the attractiveness of smoking.
Banning cigarette filters is not a new idea, but the debate has reignited ahead of the WHO COP11 meeting – taking place from 15–22 November in Geneva – where governments will consider a range of tobacco control measures. EU member states are currently debating how far Europe’s stance on tobacco restrictions should go.
In its draft position, the Commission backed the idea of banning filters to “reduce the palatability and appeal of cigarettes” and to “correct consumer misconceptions that filters significantly reduce health risks.” According to documents seen by Euractiv, several countries – including Germany and Italy – have opposed the proposed ban.
A European Commission spokesperson has since clarified that the measure would not apply within the EU. However, despite resistance from some countries, the latest draft of the EU’s position retains a reference to a global filter ban, suggesting the EU executive may want to keep the option for future application in Europe.
Officially, the EU argues that cigarette filters are a major source of environmental pollution caused by the tobacco industry. The WHO estimates that around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded into the environment worldwide each year.
In practice, however, banning filters would make smoking far less appealing, as unfiltered cigarettes are much stronger and therefore less pleasant to smoke – a point policymakers are reluctant to make publicly.
An advertisement in Marseille warning about the environmental impact of cigarette butts. [Photo: Brenda Strohmaier | Euractiv]
Why ban them?
The WHO advises against measures that sustain the perception of reduced harm. Numerous studies indicate that filters fall into that category. Some research also suggests that while filters fail to remove harmful chemicals from cigarette smoke, eliminating them entirely could expose smokers to even higher levels of toxins.
Gijs van Wijk of the Smoke Free Partnership is firmly in the camp that says filters offer no proven health benefit. “Just as light cigarettes were exposed as a public health fraud, offering no real reduction in risk, filters have also proven to be a deceptive design feature. They don’t make smoking safer; in fact, they may increase harm by encouraging deeper inhalation of toxic smoke and contributing to more aggressive cancers,” he said.
Van Wijk welcomed the EU’s willingness to consider filter bans and suggested extending similar measures to new and emerging nicotine products – such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
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Although the tobacco industry is increasingly shifting towards alternative products, these have yet to surpass traditional cigarettes in market share. Conventional cigarettes still represent the primary source of annual revenue – particularly for smaller companies – while major players such as Philip Morris and British American Tobacco continue to expand their portfolios of alternative products.
Therefore, a filter ban that makes smoking less attractive could deliver a significant financial blow to the industry.
The EU is already mounting pressure on the sector as it prepares major tobacco tax hikes under a revised Tobacco Excise Tax Directive. Brussels has also proposed the so-called TEDOR levy – an additional charge that is estimated will generate around €11.2 billion a year for the next EU long-term budget by taking 15% of national revenue from tobacco duties.
Illicit trade still an open wound
However, even higher taxes combined with a filter ban would not be the last puff for smoking.
The illicit tobacco trade continues to cause major headaches across Europe, with law enforcement struggling to keep up. Without stronger border controls from member states, new tobacco restrictions will likely be in vain.
In France – where taxes are high – illicit trade has surged. Lithuania, despite lower duties, also faces a serious threat: hundreds of balloons carrying counterfeit filtered cigarettes have floated in from Belarus, prompting authorities in Vilnius to start shooting them down.
(bms, aw)
