Tobacco use is one of the main factors in the development of non-communicable diseases that cause premature death. 20 years of anti-smoking in the EU: is a tobacco-free future possible? Healthcare
Smoking claims more than half a million lives in Europe every year. This is stated in a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, over the past 20 years – that is, in the period since the European Union ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco – significant progress has been made in tobacco product control policies.
Smoking claims more than half a million lives in Europe every year. This is stated in a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, over the past 20 years – that is, in the period since the European Union ratified the WHO Framework Convention against Tobacco – significant progress has been made in tobacco product control policies.
“Twenty years ago, the EU adopted this historic UN convention and built its domestic legal framework in line with the WHO Framework Convention’s vision of saving lives and protecting people from the widespread risks associated with tobacco use, from cancer and cardiovascular disease to tuberculosis and dementia,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. across all 27 EU member states, the burden of tobacco dependence remains enormous,” he added. Of these, almost 80 thousand die due to exposure to secondhand smoke.
In 2022, 26.5 percent of EU adults used tobacco, higher than the global average of 20.9 percent. Almost one in four women in the EU smokes, more than the global average of 7.4 percent. Among men, the level of tobacco product consumption is higher (29.1 percent) than among women (23.9 percent).
Tobacco remains the main risk factor for premature death. Smoking is responsible for 17 percent of all deaths from non-communicable diseases in the EU.
Today in the EU, only 7 countries are moving towards the global goal of reducing tobacco consumption by 30 percent by 2025.
Electronic cigarettes and youth
Today, the actions of tobacco companies, using a wide arsenal of marketing strategies, are becoming a serious challenge for the future of the EU.
New tobacco and nicotine-containing products – electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches – are often produced in bright packaging and with fruity or sweet flavors. They are actively advertised, including through social networks, to attract children and teenagers.
The WHO European Region already leads the world in vaping prevalence among 13–15-year-olds, and this trend is growing rapidly. While smoking among adults is falling, the use of nicotine products among young people is increasing.
Almost one in four 15-16 year olds in the EU uses e-cigarettes – from 6 percent in Portugal to 36 percent in Poland. Since 2019, teen vaping rates have increased in 22 of the 25 EU countries, with girls using e-cigarettes more often than boys in all countries.
Research shows that vaping nearly triples the likelihood of smoking traditional cigarettes among non-smoking teens.
60~h2>Highlights problems
Implementation of evidence-based tobacco control measures in EU countries remains uneven.
All countries monitor tobacco use and use large graphic warnings on packaging, but: only eight countries have fully ensured a smoke-free environment; only four countries have implemented comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
However, in 14 countries, cigarettes have become more affordable since 2014 due to lower prices. By 2024, only six of the 27 EU countries have banned flavorings in e-cigarettes, and about half have introduced partial restrictions on their advertising.
The two main challenges reported by EU countries are the emergence of new nicotine products and the tobacco industry’s ongoing interference in regulatory processes.
Europe’s leadership and path forward
Over two decades, the European Union has proven that coordinated legislative measures can change the trajectory of public health.
As the WHO emphasizes, increasing taxes and tightening restrictions on smoking, a complete ban on flavors, uniform packaging of all nicotine products and eliminating loopholes in online advertising.
“A tobacco-free Europe is not just an achievable goal. This is a future where children grow up without addiction, the air is cleaner, and health and well-being become shared values,” said WHO Europe Representative Christina Mauer-Stender.