It is fitting that 31 May marked both the last day of the European Week Against Cancer and World No Tobacco Day. Both Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Safe Hearts Plan emphasise the importance of tobacco control as a key component of disease prevention efforts, fighting cancer across Europe and safeguarding the health of EU citizens. Our objective is clear: a tobacco and nicotine-free generation by 2040.
This year will be key for EU tobacco control policy and the health of generations to come.
Our evaluation report, published in April, sent a very clear message: EU rules on tobacco control have contributed to a significant decline in smoking and tobacco-related deaths across the EU. This is real progress. But while traditional smoking is decreasing, new tobacco and nicotine products are increasingly reaching a new generation. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 29 are particularly exposed. More than half of nicotine pouch users are under 40, one in five consumers of tobacco and nicotine products aged 15 to 19 years started by regularly using e-cigarettes, and nearly one in ten young people aged 15 to 24 has already used heated tobacco products.
Although these products may appear modern, trendy, or less harmful, the reality is clear: they pose a genuine risk of addiction to nicotine. Young people are particularly exposed to these new trends and are facing serious health risks. If our rules do not keep pace with a rapidly changing market, Europe risks the creation of a new generation exposed to a new form of nicotine addiction.
This month we published both a call for evidence and public consultation on the revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive and Tobacco Advertising Directive. We welcome all contributions to inform how we can tackle the health consequences of tobacco across the EU. They will feed into the upcoming revision of the legislative framework on tobacco control, which we aim to present by the end of this year.
The revision of EU tobacco control rules is vital to reach a tobacco and nicotine-free generation by 2040. We are strongly committed to turn this ambition into reality and create a healthier Europe for all.
