The European Commission mandated the independent Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) to produce a priority list of tobacco additives in cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco. SCENIHR assessed the role of tobacco additives in the addictiveness, attractiveness and toxicity of tobacco products, publishing their scientific rationale in 2010, 1 and assessment of a range of additives for inclusion on a priority list in 2016. 2 SCENIHR identified and assessed 48 individual additives, listed in Table 12.6.3.1, for potential inclusion on a priority list, based on four inclusion criteria: 2 , 3
A. Contributing to the toxicity or addictiveness of the products concerned/increasing the toxicity or addictiveness of any of the products concerned to a significant or measurable degree;
B. Resulting in a characterising flavour;
C. Facilitating inhalation or nicotine uptake;
D. Leading to the formation of substances that have CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicant) properties/increasing the CMR properties in any of the products concerned (cigarettes/roll-your-own) to a significant or measurable degree.
A final priority list of 15 additives ( Table 12.6.3.1, column 3) was determined on the basis of those additives in the group of 48 that were highest priorities and most commonly used among cigarettes and roll-your-own products. 2-4 Member States of the European Union require manufacturers and importers of cigarettes and roll-your-own products to carry out comprehensive studies on the additives on this priority list. 4
References
1. Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). Addictiveness and attractiveness of tobacco additives. Brussels, Belgium 2010. Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/emerging/docs/scenihr_o_031.pdf.
2. Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). Final opinion on additives used in tobacco products. European Commission, Health & Food Safety, Directorate C: Public Health 2016. Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/emerging/docs/scenihr_o_051.pdf.
3. Hoet P, Rydzynski K, Vermeire T, Nair U, Talhout R, et al. Recommendations to the european commission implementing a priority list of additives that should have more stringent reporting requirements: The opinion of the scientific committee on emerging and newly identified health risks (SCENIHR). Tobacco Control, 2018; 27(2):225-8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28341766
4. Andriukaitis V. Commission implementing decision (EU) 2016/787 of 18 may 2016 laying down a priority list of additives contained in cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco subject to enhanced reporting obligations. Official Journal of the European Union 2016. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016D0787&from=EN.