Ukraine: Ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products

The sale of all flavoured tobacco and vaping products, as well as cigarette packs with “inappropriate” labelling, are now officially banned in Ukraine. This comes one year after the Ukrainian parliament adopted the law 1978-XI which grants a one-year period for the sale of remaining stocks[1].

These provisions were adopted in accordance with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the European Directive 2014/40/EUIn order to meet European standards, Ukraine has been implementing a series of measures for over ten years to significantly reduce tobacco consumption among the population.

Update of health warnings on tobacco products

As of July 11, 2024, all tobacco product packages must carry new health warnings covering 65 % of the surface area of the two largest sides of the package. A total of 14 separate series of warnings have been developed. Each health warning is associated with three different photos. These warnings will be updated every year. In addition, for people who want to quit smoking, a QR code is now placed on the pack which links to the public health center's free telephone service for help with quitting smoking.

According to a study conducted in Ukraine for WHO in 2023[2], 27.4% of Ukrainian adults (44% of men and 13.7% of women) smoked and used nicotine products at the time of the survey. Among the respondents, 22.2 TP3T were current cigarette smokers (37.8 TP3T of men and 9.3 TP3T of women), while daily smokers accounted for 19.5 TP3T (33.3 TP3T of men and 8.1 TP3T of women). Cigarettes remain the most widely used tobacco product (83% of tobacco product users). Among them, 23% were daily users (37.5% of men and 11.1% of women). Regarding the regular prevalence of new tobacco and nicotine product use, 3.3% reported consuming e-cigarettes and 3% heated tobacco. The results also showed that 63.1 % of smokers were considering quitting smoking, 16.4 % of them expressed the need for professional support.

Ban on flavors for tobacco and vaping products

According to Articles 10 and 10-1 of Law No. 1978-IX, cigarettes, rolling tobacco, e-cigarettes and flavoured liquids are no longer permitted for sale. In addition, the new law also prohibits a number of additives (e.g. vitamins) in tobacco and vaping products. These are likely to mislead consumers about the consequences of using these products and may lead to the belief that some products are less toxic than others. The amended legislation imposes requirements regarding the composition of e-cigarette liquids as well as the submission of reports by manufacturers and distributors of tobacco and e-cigarette products.

The ban on flavours does not include heated tobacco because the new law is aligned with the provisions of the 2014 EU Tobacco Products Directive, which predates the marketing of this new tobacco product. However, Ukraine is one of the first countries to have implemented a dissuasive tax policy on these products, based on unit taxation in reference to other manufactured cigarettes, as almost all anti-smoking stakeholders advocate.

©Tobacco Free Generation

AE

[1] Oleksandra Amru, Since July 11, the sale of flavored cigarettes and electronic cigarettes has been banned in Ukraine, Babel, published July 11, accessed July 15, 2024

[2] Communicated, World No Tobacco Day 2023: Ukraine survey results highlight challenges, WHO, published May 31, 2023, accessed July 15, 2024