Last updated: December 15, 2020
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
Department of Health
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing certain additives, as described in Art. 8 of the Regulations.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Department of Health
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the manufacture or sale of cigarettes with emissions levels greater than: 1) 10 mg of tar per cigarettes, 2) 1 mg of nicotine per cigarette, or 3) 10 mg of carbon monoxide per cigarette.
Sugars and sweeteners (other than those added to replace sugars lost during the curing process)
Examples of sugars and sweeteners include: glucose, molasses, honey and sorbitol.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with a "characterising flavour." Accordingly, sugars and sweeteners that produce a characterizing flavor are prohibited and the the regulatory status code "Banned" is given.
The law notes that this prohibition "does not apply to the use of additives that are essential for the manufacture of tobacco products, provided those additives do not result in a product with a characterising flavour and do not increase to a significant or measureable degree the addictiveness, toxicity or the CMR properties of the tobacco product."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as sugars and sweeteners in cigarettes.
Menthol, mint or spearmint (including analogues and derivatives)
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with a "characterising flavour." Accordingly, the addition of menthol, mint, or spearmint that produces a characterizing flavor is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as menthol, mint, or spearmint in cigarettes.
Spices and herbs (excluding mint)
Examples include: cinnamon and ginger.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with a "characterising flavour." Accordingly, the addition of spices and herbs that produce a characterizing flavor is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as spices and herbs (excluding mint) in cigarettes.
Other flavorings (not covered above)
Includes fruit flavorings. Examples of flavoring substances include benzaldehyde, maltol and vanillin.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with a "characterising flavour." Accordingly, the addition of flavorings that produce a characterizing flavor is prohibited. In addition, the Regulations prohibit the sale of cigarettes containing "flavourings in any of their components such as filters, papers, packages or capsules."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as other flavorings (not covered above) in cigarettes.
Ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake
Examples include: ammonia.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products for smoking containing additives that facilitate inhalation or nicotine uptake.
The law aligns with FCTC Arts. 5.2 and 9 in that it regulates ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake, such as ammonia.
Ingredients which may create an impression of health benefits
Examples include: vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, fruit and vegetables (and products resulting from their processing such as fruit juices), amino acids, such as cysteine and tryptophan, and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing "vitamins or other additives that create the impression that a tobacco product has a health benefit or presents reduced health risks."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that the law prohibits or restricts the use of ingredients that may create an impression of health benefits in cigarettes.
Ingredients associated with energy and vitality
Examples include: caffeine, guarana, taurine and glucuronolactone.
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing "caffeine, taurine, other additives or stimulant compounds that are associated with energy and vitality."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that the law prohibits or restricts the use of ingredients associated with energy and vitality in cigarettes.
Additives that have coloring properties for emissions
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing "additives having colouring properties for emissions."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it prohibits ingredients that have coloring properties in cigarettes.
Additives that have CMR properties in unburnt form
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing "additives that have CMR [carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity] properties in unburnt form."
Additives in quantities that increase the toxic or addictive effect
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit the sale of tobacco products containing "additives in quantities that increase the toxic or addictive effect or the CMR [carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity] properties at the stage of consumption to a significant or measureable degree on the basis of scientific evidence."
Filters, papers, or capsules containing tobacco or nicotine
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit placing on the market filters, papers, or capsules containing tobacco or nicotine.
Technical features allowing modification of the smell or taste or smoke intensity of the product
The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 prohibit placing on the market cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with any technical feature allowing modification of the smell or taste or smoke intensity of the product.
