Greece To Ban Electronic Cigarettes – Sharp Price Increases in Tobacco Products

Greece will ban the selling of “electronic cigarettes” as the National Organication for Medicines  (EOF) came to the conclusion that the E-cigarette is harmful to the human body due to substances like drops of nicotine, lugid ingredients and essential oils.  The EOF proposed the prohibition of both the sale and the use of e-cigarettes in Greece and the Health Ministry announced that strict controls will start next week.
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, don’t burn tobacco. The battery-operated devices offer users a vapor of liquid ingredients, including nicotine. The ban of electronic cigarettes came into force recetly in the USA. Ray Story, chief executive of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association told daily USATODAY that ”the possible risks of his products are unproven”. Story claims that competitors that make regular cigarettes and products such as nicotine gum or patches were behind the proposed rule, the US daily noted.

Shocking Increases in Cigarette Prices

At the same time, the General Secretary for Public Health, Antonis Dimopoulos, said that the government is seriously considering to increase the prices of cigerettes at 20% in order to decrease the number of smokers in the country.
“For health reasons” you would think! I dare doubting it. The measure is purely tax-collection oriented, I suspect.
Papangiotis Behrakis, President of the National Committee for the Smoking Control, has already calculated the benefits for the state from the increased prices: 400 million euro.
Behrakis claimed that “an increase of 2 euro at every cig package would decrease the number of smokers at 460,000 and it would bring the state revenues at least €400 million”. Behrakis claimed further that expensive cigarettes can prohibit at least 150,000 young people from starting to smoke, and decrease the number of early deaths due to smoking at 235,000.
How the aimed decreased consumption will increase the targeted state revenues is another statistics miracle in the Greek fiscal sheets.
Anyway, Greek media report that the price increases will be announced after Christmas.
PS Since I read the news about the e-cigs ban I ‘ve been thinking of the new shop that is about to open nearby. The shop has been leased and it would sell solely e-cigarettes. The aspired businessman would have to overthrow his plans. Hopefully he didn’t get a bank loan for this purpose for his new business….