CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Challenges of the flavored novel tobacco products control policy in Georgia
 
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1
The University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
 
2
Non-communicable Diseases Department, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
 
 
Publication date: 2023-10-08
 
 
Corresponding author
Tamar Abuladze   

The University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
 
 
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2023;9(Supplement 2):A46
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Excessive tobacco consumption is an important public health problem in Georgia. 28.2% of the Georgian population are smokers and 11,400 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases. In 2017, tobacco control(TC) legislation strengthened significantly, although novel products (HTPs, ENDS/ENNDS - shown in the Georgian market since 2019), remained outside of some regulations. In recent years Georgia has become a favorable market for the novel tobacco product industry attracting young using different marketing means, especially the flavorings.

Objectives:
To analyze existing tobacco control policy in Georgia regarding flavored novel tobacco products from the perspective of EU approaches.

Methods:
Descriptive legal research, historical analysis, comparative analysis methods, and the methodology of policy inquiry were used.

Results:
There are no restrictions or limitations on using flavorings/additives in any type of tobacco in Georgia. Only the concentration of emitted substances in cigarettes and amount of nicotine in e-cigarette liquid is limited, but compliance with these requirements was never checked. There is no local laboratory that tests any kind of tobacco product and no samples have ever been sent to any laboratory abroad. ENNDS appeared as a big policy challenge, as they are not considered as tobacco products, and no TC legislative requirements apply to them. Given the alarmingly high index of tobacco industry interfere in the country, it is likely that introduction of the control policies on novel product will be met with great resistance, especially since no research has yet been conducted to reveal rates of novel tobacco products use by youth.

Conclusions:
Georgia is far from the EU regulations regarding control of the flavored tobacco products. But this momentum can be the biggest incentive for Georgia to introduce a strict policy of controlling flavored novel tobacco products as according to the EU Association Agreement Georgia is obliged to get closer to the EU legislation.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
eISSN:2459-3087
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