Issued the following announcement on May 34.
Simon Harris, the Minister for Health, has called for European Union intervention against certain tobacco companies that he believes are “undermining” a ban on menthol-flavoured cigarettes that was introduced in Ireland this month as a measure to prevent young people from taking up smoking.
The menthol market was estimated at up to 18 per cent of the total cigarettes market here, or about €252 million, before the introduction of the ban across the EU on May 20th.
Anti-smoking groups, including Ash Ireland, a part of the Irish Heart Foundation, have also strongly criticised moves by certain companies for allegedly “circumventing” the ban with replacement products that seek to exploit loopholes.
It singled out for criticism Philip Morris International, the maker of Marlboro, which has just introduced a new product onto the Irish market that it described to retailers as a “menthol blend without methylation”.
Philip Morris said it believes it is still in compliance with the ban because, it claims, the cigarette doesn’t taste of menthol when it is smoked. It also criticised any Irish retailers that are still illegally selling its old menthol Marlboro Green brand, which The Irish Times found available to purchase in a Dublin convenience store yesterday.
Compliance
Japan Tobacco International (JTI), the Silk Cut maker that is ultimately one-third owned by the Japanese state, also argued that its new replacement brand, Silk Cut Choice Green, is in compliance with the ban, despite admitting it uses menthol flavourings in its manufacturing.
Rival tobacco companies that have chosen not to introduce substitutes for menthol cigarettes also criticised the moves by JTI and Philip Morris.
