Denmark: adoption of plain packaging for certain tobacco and vaping products

The Danish Parliament adopted an amendment to the national tobacco law in December 2020.[1], establishing an obligation to ensure that "each packaging unit and any packaging of tobacco products is standardized". This requirement does not apply to cigars, pipe tobacco and heated/toasted tobacco but by decree[2], it is extended to refill bottles for electronic cigarettes with and without nicotine.

The plain packaging for cigarettes and rolling tobacco as well as for herbal smoking products will come into force at the production level on 1 July 2021. The measure will be made mandatory at retail from 1 April 2022. For electronic cigarettes and refill containers (with or without nicotine), the provision will come into force on 1 October 2021 for manufacturing and on 1 October 2022 for retail marketing.

A measure that has proven itself around the world

Plain packaging for tobacco products is one of the measures recommended in the implementation guidelines Article 11 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCLAT) of the WHO on the packaging and labelling of tobacco products and also in those relating to the prohibition of any form of advertising in favour of these productsIts objectives are numerous:

- increase the visibility and effectiveness of health warnings.

- prevent packaging techniques that suggest that some products are less harmful than others;

- reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products;

- eliminate the effect of tobacco packaging as a form of advertising and promotion.

Denmark will be on the 9th^th countries in Europe and the 18th^th in the world to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.

In France, an investigation from Inserm and INCA[3], since the introduction of plain packaging in 2017, has particularly highlighted an improvement in the perception of the dangers of smoking by adolescents after the entry into force of the measure (83.9% in 2017, compared to 78.9% in 2016). Young smokers also appear " less attached to their tobacco brand » in 2017 (23.9%), compared to 2016 (34.3%). According to a survey by Public Health France[4], the share of smokers who say that they like the appearance of their cigarette packet was divided by three between 2017 (16 %) and 2016 (53 %), before the measure came into force.

In the UK, in a study published in the journal Tobacco Control[5], researchers show that the adoption of plain packaging combined with an increase in taxes on the cheapest tobacco products has significantly reduced tobacco sales volumes in the country.

Denmark, a pioneer in regulating vaping products

Only one country – Israel – has so far implemented plain packaging for e-cigarettes (device and liquids/refills). The Netherlands plans to require plain packaging for e-cigarettes in 2022[6].

In December 2020[7], Denmark has introduced strict regulations for vaping products. In addition to plain packaging for e-liquids, the country will introduce a tax of 0.27 cents per ml for liquids, which is expected to increase the price of a 10 ml bottle from around €4 today to almost €7. Also planned is a ban on flavours other than tobacco and menthol for e-cigarettes and a complete ban on advertising. This ban includes a ban on product displays, which can no longer be displayed in public view at points of sale, as of 1^er April 2022. On merchant sites, it will be forbidden to make promotions for products just as it is now forbidden to display product photos and customer reviews. The only possibility to sell them online is now in the form of a list, without photos or graphics, the measure being already in force.

Figure 1 - Screenshot of the Vuse Denmark website (BAT)

Keywords: Denmark, Plain packaging, Neutral packaging, Regulations, Vaping

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] Amendment to the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act, etc., the Tobacco Products Act, etc., the Electronic Cigarettes Act, etc. and various other laws (LOV nr 2071 of 21/12/2020)

[2] Executive Decree on the Standardization of Packaging of Electronic Cigarettes and Refill Bottles with and without Nicotine (BEK No. 699 of 04/19/2021)

[3] F. El-Khoury et al. “Plain tobacco packaging, increased graphic health warnings and adolescents' perceptions and initiation of smoking: DePICT, a French nationwide study” BMJ Tobbaco Control, November 2018. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054573

[4] Pasquereau A, Andler R, Guignard R, Richard JB, Nguyen-Thanh V and the Public Health France Barometer groups 2016 and 2017. Perception of cigarette packets by smokers before and after the introduction of plain packaging. Results of the Public Health France Barometers 2016 and 2017. Saint-Maurice: Public Health France, 2019. 10 p.

[5] Hiscock R, Augustin NH, Branston JR, et al Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of standardized packaging and minimum excise tax on tobacco sales and industry revenue in the UK Tobacco Control Published Online First: 12 July 2020. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055387

[6] Framework Convention website, The Netherlands: Implementation of plain packaging from 01/10/2020, accessed 5 July 2021

[7] Amendment to the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act, etc., the Tobacco Products Act, etc., the Electronic Cigarettes Act, etc. and various other laws (LOV nr 2071 of 21/12/2020)

National Committee Against Smoking |