DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

1 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Dutch health bodies pull out of tobacco-dominated monitoring groups

May 7, 2018
Photo: DutchNews.nl
Photo: DutchNews.nl

The Netherlands is poised to pull out of two committees which advise on measuring nicotine, tar and carbon-monoxide in cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, Trouw said on Monday.

The paper said public health institute RIVM and the Dutch food and product safety board NVWA consider that tobacco firms are too influential on the committees and they should step down.

The RIVM represents the health ministry on one Dutch advisory committee in which eight of the 10 members have tobacco interests. This, the RIVM says, means public safety is being compromised.

This committee represents the Dutch view at an international level as part of ISO, the international body which monitors standardisation.  The second committee has a similar role for e-cigarettes.

Junior health minister Paul Blokhuis welcomed the RIVM’s decision. ‘There is something odd about allowing the tobacco industry to have such a prominent role in talking about how we measure what is in cigarettes,’ he said.

‘It is right to break contact with the industry and take a new step towards developing a fair way of measuring,’ he said.

The decision follows the discovery that tobacco firms have for years declared emission levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide to be lower than the actual emission levels.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Health Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch government websites still reliant on US cloud services
Ni hao! Amsterdam educational book sparks racism complaints
Artist Bas Kosters on the serious business of creating joy
Warm end to May, slightly cooler start to meteorological summer
From rooftops to refugee artists: 11 great things to do in June
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now