Europe to Ban Menthols in Cigarette Crackdown

Europe is trying to kick its smoking habit. A key European Parliament committee yesterday passed sweeping anti-tobacco legislation that would ban all flavored cigarettes—including menthols—and all slim cigarettes, and subject electronic cigarettes to medical regulation, among other restrictions. The moves coincide with similar efforts from the FDA in the US, notes the Wall Street Journal. The US already bans flavored cigarettes, but not menthols. The theory behind the bans is that flavored cigarettes appeal more to kids.

The full EU parliament still has to vote on the bill, though the results are expected to be the same, and then iron out the differences between the legislation and what Europe's various national governments have on the books. National governments, for instance, don't support the ban on slims, instead only banning packaging for them designed to look like makeup or perfume. And national governments only want to mandate that 65% of a pack's surface be covered in warnings, while the EU bill calls for 75%. (More European Parliament stories.)