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Global elections: bad news for tobacco harm reduction?
Supporters of vaping, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco had hoped for a “Trump effect” in cutting regulation
Recent elections around the world have mostly been a disappointment for advocates of e-cigarettes and other less harmful forms of nicotine, according to a new analysis from Tamarind Intelligence.
Many had hoped that the success of Donald Trump – who has claimed he will “save flavoured vaping” – in securing a second term as US president would be repeated in triumphs for populist, right-wing political movements elsewhere.
But instead, voters in countries such as Canada, Australia and Romania opted for centre-left parties. The far right did score notable successes in some places, for example Portugal, but hopes for governments that would prioritise business over regulation – and personal choice over public health protectionism – have largely not been fulfilled.
In Australia, for example, the new Labor government is much less optimistic than the opposition on the potential of tobacco harm reduction and alternatives to smoking, such as vaping, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco. And in Romania, the victory of a left-leaning, pro-EU leader probably means closer adherence to the tenets of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
However, policies on new nicotine products do not always follow clear left-right lines. In South Korea, for instance, the ousted People Power Party (PPP) did not represent a more liberal approach to regulation despite being conservative in its basic philosophy, and during its time in power it looked to introduce further restrictions on vaping.
“Overall, the general failure of nationalist populism post-Trump is something of a mixed bag for the strictness of global regulation of nicotine alternatives. Countries such as Australia, Canada and Romania will see governments of leftist parties that have generally been more sceptical of the potential positive public health impact of nicotine alternatives and have focused on their negatives. This should lead to greater restrictions – or, at least, the loss of any chance of a rollback of existing restrictions,” said Freddie Dawson, a Tamarind Intelligence journalist who produced the analysis for Tamarind’s ECigIntelligence and TobaccoIntelligence services.
“But in countries such as South Korea and Portugal, the results are less important, as the right-leaning parties have not been as big allies of vaping or other alternative products as the right wing elsewhere has been. This dilutes the potential impact that the loss of right-leaning politicians could have had on tobacco harm reduction,” he added.
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Photo: Marco Oriolesi
