Heated tobacco is a type of chopped or powdered tobacco that is found inside devices – in Spain only those from the Phillip Morris Iqos brand are sold – and is heated electronically (up to 400ºC). Unlike conventional cigarettes, this tobacco product does not burn and does not generate smoke, and does not contain liquids, as is the case with electronic cigarettes.
The Council of Ministers has approved a royal decree by which from now on the same regulation as conventional tobacco will be applied to heated tobacco. The standard prohibits it from containing aromas and requires warning on its labeling that it is harmful to health. The Government thus transposes the Delegated Directive, of June 9, which modifies Directive 2014/40/EU with regard to the withdrawal of certain exceptions applicable to heated tobacco products, in order to make it comparable to conventional cigarettes.
Heated tobacco harms health
This royal decree represents a starting point in the crusade initiated by the Ministry to prevent smoking, and will come into force within three months of its publication in the BOE. The text “prohibits the marketing of filters, smoking papers or capsules that modify the flavor of tobacco products,” according to Health.
However, he adds: “This regulation affects only heated tobacco and not all vaping devices, the regulation of which the Ministry of Health is working on.” And the idea is to soon also tighten the control of vaping devices, which for now are sold freely in many establishments and are promoted without filters on the networks.
Heated tobacco products were exempt from including an informative message and health warnings about the risks associated with their consumption, but as of the entry into force of the standard they will be required to include both issues, so packaging units and The outer packaging of heated tobacco products must include the message: “tobacco smoke contains more than 70 carcinogenic substances”, in addition to the images that already appear on conventional tobacco packs.
Source: Ministry of Health
