Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The European Union is considering a ban on filtered cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, following recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), Azernews reports.

“Banning the production, import, distribution, and sale of filtered cigarettes will significantly contribute to reducing tobacco consumption. The ban on e-cigarettes is also being considered as an additional regulatory measure,” states the draft resolution from the EU Council, which is set to be discussed at the WHO conference in Geneva this November.

The draft highlights that the WHO’s tobacco regulation research group explicitly recommends banning cigarette filters, which are known to reduce the taste and overall attractiveness of cigarettes, thus encouraging smoking.

Currently, 95% of all cigarettes sold in Germany are filtered, meaning such a regulation would effectively amount to a near-total ban on cigarettes.

Meanwhile, a related move has already been initiated in Russia, where a pilot project in the Nizhny Novgorod region has introduced a complete ban on the use of electronic cigarettes, vapes, and tobacco heating systems.

If adopted, these measures could mark one of the strictest tobacco control policies worldwide, signaling a major shift in global efforts to combat smoking-related health issues.