Vojvodić: MPs to act decisively to make harmful tobacco and nicotine products less attractive

More and more young people are smoking in Montenegro, because there are no appropriate legal solutions, which is why it is necessary to accelerate the process and for MPs to act decisively in order to build a healthier Montenegro and make harmful tobacco and nicotine products less attractive, especially for children and young people.

This was stated by the Executive Director of Juventas Ivana Vojvodić at the 64th session of the Parliamentary Committee for Economy, Finance and Budget, whose agenda is "The Role of Fiscal Policy Measures in Improving Effective Tobacco Control in Montenegro", as reported by PR Center.

She said that three years have been lost since the Tobacco Law was supposed to be adopted in the Parliament and that the responsibility lies with the MPs.

"In 2021, the government made a decision to ban flavors in tobacco and nicotine products, nicotine pouches, and to establish better regulation. And we, as a society, have caused enormous damage to the generation that is in high school today by not reacting, and it is up to the MPs to react and repair the damage," Vojvodić believes.

It is very alarming that Montenegro is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of smoking prevalence, but what is also very worrying, as she said, is that one smoker consumes a huge number of cigarettes.

"When we smoke, it is very rarely just two or three cigarettes, but rather measured in packs, which further increases the health risk," said Vojvodić.

She pointed out that in Montenegro, the number of cases of malignant diseases among the younger adult population is increasing, which is only partly related to tobacco use.

"Part of the excise tax revenue should be directed towards smoking cessation programs. But when we talk about prevention, we're not just talking about working on education. It's not just about explaining that nicotine and tobacco are harmful. Every person over the age of seven is aware of that. We're talking about the fact that these products shouldn't be as attractive and accessible as they are now," Vojvodić is clear.

She emphasized that existing legal solutions are not being implemented, which are not good enough, and in the last few years, tobacco products have been increasingly used in catering establishments.

"Also, we are not investing enough in data collection, and the tobacco industry is certainly collecting data. We are not investing part of our tobacco excise tax revenues to address the issue of the tobacco use pandemic," Vojvodić noted.

According to her, the MPs wasted time and did not pass amendments to the Tobacco Law, they did not amend the Law on the Regulation of the Use of Tobacco and Nicotine Products, and the result is a huge increase in the use of nicotine products among children.

"I appeal for the procedure to be accelerated, for us to approach this topic with maximum attention, for us all to understand our role adequately and adopt appropriate legal solutions, and then influence that these legal solutions are actually implemented," Vojvodić is unequivocal.

The Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Montenegro, Mina Brajović, said that the addiction pandemic causes eight million lives lost every year, of which one million are passive smokers, whose choice was not tobacco.

"This is a pandemic not caused by a virus, but by an inexorable escalation in the use of various tobacco and nicotine products, which is generated by a powerful industry of death driven solely by profit. In the European region, every fourth inhabitant uses tobacco products. In Montenegro, the prevalence is significantly above what we see as the average at the global and European levels," said Brajović.

Of particular concern, she said, is the fact that the tobacco and nicotine industry deliberately targets the most vulnerable and valuable members of society, which are children and young people.

"It is estimated that 37 million children aged 13 to 15 use tobacco. The use of electronic cigarettes is increasing alarmingly among this population," Brajović stated.

She emphasized that the tobacco and nicotine industries are manipulating by using recycled strategies for new tobacco and nicotine products, denying the harm and risk of use.

"They used to claim that filter cigarettes were safe, that tobacco products did not cause lung cancer, and today they say that nicotine pouches are not harmful. The tobacco and nicotine industry commissions studies, fabricates data, which they selectively consume even after it has been fabricated. They package nicotine and tobacco addiction and attractiveness into flavors. Flavors and aromas are bait," Brajović believes.

The data confirms, she said, that flavors and aromas are the primary reason for initiating the use of nicotine and tobacco products in children and young people and a factor that makes quitting an impossible mission.

"For electronic cigarettes alone, there are an incredible 16 thousand flavors available. The tobacco and nicotine industry designs products very carefully. They often copy the brands and visual identity of popular toys and sweets, creating the perception among children, parents and society that it is something familiar and safe. And then they tell us - our products are not intended for your children," said Brajović.

She emphasized that the future does not come by itself, but is created, and that history is written by those who have the courage to protect the vulnerable and weaker than themselves.

"We can protect our children, save lives and build a healthier and fairer Montenegro if we act together and decisively and make harmful products less attractive, especially for children and young people, if we insist on a regular, significant increase in taxes on all products to make them inaccessible and if we persist in protecting children and young people from new nicotine products," said Brajović.

Evidence suggests that the backbone of a sustainable and effective response to the tobacco and nicotine epidemic and one of the most effective control measures is excise policy, but as an integral part of a comprehensive package of control of the use of tobacco and nicotine products.

"The experiences of numerous countries confirm that it is possible to work on two tracks, in fact, increase the excise tax burden and successfully fight the illegal market," said Brajović.

The goal of the tobacco and nicotine industry, she pointed out, is to keep tobacco and nicotine products attractive and financially accessible to children and young people, "because the death industry knows very well that addiction that begins in adolescence lasts a lifetime and that their profits depend on recruiting a new generation of consumers."

"Dear MPs, both legislative proposals in the field of tobacco and the field of tobacco control and use will soon be in your hands. The decisions you make can determine the health future of Montenegro. I appeal to you to insist on the following measures: first of all, to continue increasing excise duties and the excise burden on tobacco products, to ensure that all tobacco and nicotine products are taxed at high, dissuasive rates, to ban nicotine pouches, to ban the addition of flavors to all products, to introduce standardized packaging, in order to eliminate this form of marketing as well," Brajović said.

Any compromise with the death industry is not wisdom and courage but, as he believes, giving up and betraying the most valuable thing we have.