EU Health Ministers Urged to Support Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategies to Fight Cancer

EU health ministers convened in Brussels for a two-day meeting to discuss Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and other issues. Consumer representatives and advocates are calling on policymakers to embrace science-based tobacco harm reduction strategies, which include legislative initiatives aimed at addressing cancer risk factors such as reducing tobacco and alcohol consumption and promoting healthy eating habits.

Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers Alliance, emphasized the importance of this meeting in steering the EU towards a smoke-free future. He pointed to Sweden as a leading example of a country on track to becoming the first smoke-free nation by prioritizing safer and less harmful alternatives to smoking. Landl urged EU health ministers to take inspiration from Sweden and implement sensible regulations that could save hundreds of thousands of lives annually by curbing smoking-related deaths.

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the role of safer nicotine alternatives such as vaping or pouches in reducing harm and aiding in smoking cessation, Landl noted that the EU Commission has been unresponsive to scientific data on tobacco policies. He underscored the importance of EU health ministers seizing this critical opportunity to advocate for regulations that could improve public health across Europe. The Beating Cancer Plan recognizes the potential of vaping in helping smokers quit, highlighting the need for politicians to align policies with this acknowledgment. The call for sensible regulations to support harm reduction strategies is seen as a crucial step towards reducing the prevalence of smoking and improving public health across Europe.