EU recommends outdoor ban on cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco

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EU recommends outdoor ban on cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco

9:14 CAT | 18 Sep 2024

FILE - The guidelines are part of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan which aims to create the first "Tobacco-Free Generation" [File photo: Reuters]

The European Commission wants member states to ban cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated products tobacco from outdoor areas, according to new recommendations published on Tuesday (17 September).

The EU executive adopted non-binding guidelines to update the 2009’s Council recommendations for a smoke-free environment, as the current ones cannot fully achieve their “protective purpose” due to a lack of coverage of “outdoor spaces” and “emerging products,” the document reads.

“We are calling on Member states to extend the coverage of their smoke-free environment policies to key-outdoor areas,” EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said at a press conference.

The guidelines are part of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan which aims to create the first “Tobacco-Free Generation”, where in 2040, less than 5% of the population uses tobacco compared to 25% today.

“We also recommend that smoke-free environment measures apply also to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products,” Kyriakides pointed out, which represents a key change compared to 2009.

The Commission’s recommendations target heated products tobacco and electronic cigarettes “wether containing nicotine or nicotine-free”, and “any other smoke and/or aerosol” emitting products.

“These products can be a pathway to nicotine addiction and even traditional tobacco consumption. This makes their appeal to young people particularly worrying,” Kyriakides said.

In recent years, the use of new tobacco products have become popular. The prevalence of electronic cigarettes in the European Union (EU) represent 3% and 2% for the heated tobacco, according to Eurobarometer’s data from 2023.

The EU executive also wants to protect people from second-hand emissions from new tobacco products, which can provoke serious and respiratory and cardiovascular problems, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The guidelines suggest focusing on locations where children and teenagers frequently gather, such as playgrounds, swimming pools, or areas near schools, as individuals aged 15-24 are most vulnerable to second-hand smoke, according to the 2023 Eurobarometer findings.

80% percent of respondents in this age group reported seeing people smoking various tobacco products on outdoor terraces, while 40% noticed smoking in outdoor spaces meant for children. This percentage increases to 49% for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

More widely, the Commission’s guidelines also target healthcare facilities, public buildings, public transport, or places like cafes, restaurants, bars or zoos.

In a press release, the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) welcomed the new guidelines on banning the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated products tobacco “particularly given the absence of EU regulation”.

Danish MEP Stine Bosse (Renew) was a bit more sceptical saying that all the recommendations remain national competences. “I don’t think that this is going to change for quite a while,” she told Euractiv, even though she encourages the EU to “to keep the awareness high on the agenda.”

In the EU, around 25% of the population smoke and nearly 700,000 lives are lost every year due to tobacco consumption.

Source: Euractiv