Give cigarettes a darker color and remove sugar, filters and flavorings to make them less attractive to consumers. That reports the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) based on literature research. According to the institute, the proposed measures will help to achieve the goals of the National Prevention Agreement: a smoke-free generation in 2040 or a maximum of 5 percent smoking adults.
In addition to a dark color, a health warning on each cigarette can make the product less tempting. According to RIVM, a filter ban is not only better for the environment because of the microplastics it contains, it also prevents “manufacturers from giving the impression that certain cigarettes are less harmful”. According to the RIVM, sugars and flavorings make starting smoking more tempting and should therefore also be abolished.
Another option, according to the RIVM, is to lower the nicotine content in cigarettes: 0.4 instead of 16 milligrams per gram of tobacco. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport must make it clear in public communication that although these cigarettes are less addictive, they are no less harmful, the institute warns.
The responsible State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (Public Health, ChristenUnie) wrote to the House of Representatives on Thursday to include the RIVM’s conclusions in further policy to discourage tobacco. However, according to him, it is still legally difficult to reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes, since this must be done in a European context. He expects the European Commission to come up with plans for this in 2024, among other things.