French vapers face fresh tax threat as MPs battle over nicotine rules
French MPs have revived plans to tax vape liquids, putting consumers back in the firing line just weeks after the government left vaping out of its draft budget.
Nicotine policy, in perspective.
Independent reporting and analysis on nicotine policy and harm-reduction in Europe.
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Consumer advocate Skip Murray appointed to advise US FDA on nicotine regulation
Longtime consumer advocate Kim “Skip” Murray, who was the first ever interviewee for Clearing the Air back in 2024, has been appointed to the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), which advises the US regulator on how to implement its tobacco and nicotine policies.
Smoking among young Swiss people falls by almost a quarter in two years
The proportion of young people smoking in Switzerland fell by almost a quarter between 2023 and 2025, while monthly vaping remained broadly stable.
Investigations
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INVESTIGATION: Who’s behind the anti-nicotine propaganda?
Pharmaceutical companies selling costly treatments for smoking-related diseases also fund organisations campaigning for tighter restrictions on safer nicotine products. Peter examines whether those relationships deserve closer scrutiny.
Analysis & opinion
View allA story of two consultations: picking apart the Commission’s summary report
Peter Beckett examines what the European Commission’s summary of its nicotine consultations leaves out — and why the design of the questions matters.
INVESTIGATION: Who’s behind the anti-nicotine propaganda?
Pharmaceutical companies selling costly treatments for smoking-related diseases also fund organisations campaigning for tighter restrictions on safer nicotine products. Peter examines whether those relationships deserve closer scrutiny.
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New Zealand smokers turn to nicotine pouches despite sales ban
Nicotine pouch use has risen among smokers surveyed in New Zealand, with some using the products to quit cigarettes or cut down despite restrictions on sales.
Science
View allSmoking among young Swiss people falls by almost a quarter in two years
The proportion of young people smoking in Switzerland fell by almost a quarter between 2023 and 2025, while monthly vaping remained broadly stable.
Vaping cancer claims challenged by limits of laboratory study
A laboratory study found cancer-like changes in lung cells exposed to vaping extract, but its findings do not establish that vaping causes cancer in people.
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Data
View all Smoking among young Swiss people falls by almost a quarter in two years
The proportion of young people smoking in Switzerland fell by almost a quarter between 2023 and 2025, while monthly vaping remained broadly stable.
Estonia’s smoking rate falls by more than a quarter as vaping more than triples
Estonia has recorded one of Europe’s clearest recent shifts away from smoking, with current smoking falling by more than a quarter while vaping more than tripled between 2020 and 2024.
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