Europe is updating its tobacco tax rules since the current rates are no longer high enough to curb smoking, the European Commission said. The update will also take into account newer nicotine products including vapes and pouches.
Health groups are struggling to have their voices heard over the stampede of responses supporting industry. Just fewer than 90 health nongovernmental organizations responded, accounting for 0.5 percent of all responses, Impact Unfiltered found.
Meanwhile, the European Union has axed grants to health groups — causing one anti-smoking nongovernmental organization to shutter its Brussels office last month. That leaves fewer voices supporting EU tax measures to curb rates of smoking and addictive nicotine use, both of which cause chronic diseases.
“When you see 7,770 people across Europe spontaneously using the exact same ‘illicit trade’ talking point, submitted anonymously during business hours, you’re not looking at organic citizen engagement — you’re looking at an organized industry playbook,” said Laurent Huber, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health.
“MEPs need to understand: This isn’t democratic input, it’s manufactured opposition,” Huber added.
Last year, the government of the United Kingdom faced a similar barrage of pro-industry responses to its bill to end legal smoking — and it said it believed the vast majority were generated by bots.
