The Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council today of the revision of the Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. The revised Recommendation aims to better protect people, especially children, from second-hand smoke and aerosols. It also seeks to de-normalise and discourage the use of tobacco and emerging products, especially among younger people, and fight against nicotine addiction.
Tobacco and nicotine consumption is the largest avoidable health risk, and the most significant cause of premature death in the EU. The revised Recommendation calls on Member States to extend smoke-free environment policies to key outdoor areas, such as public playgrounds, outside areas of healthcare and education premises, public buildings and transport stops.
This Recommendation has a particular focus on better protecting children and young people from the adverse impacts of second-hand smoke. Member States also supported the revised Recommendation's call to include emerging products (such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products) in their smoke-free policies, which are increasingly appealing to very young users.
The Recommendation follows and builds on national-level actions some Member States have already taken, such as extending smoke-free policies to educational facilities and the inclusion of emerging products in existing smoking bans.
The World Health Organization has clearly stated that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke and outlines that exposure to second-hand aerosols of emerging products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products can potentially result in significant respiratory and cardiovascular issues.
The Commission will support Member States in the implementation of the Recommendation, including with EU funding from the EU4Health programme. It is up to each Member State to consider and implement the Recommendation in accordance with their national context.
Background
Nearly 700,000 lives are lost in the EU every year due to tobacco consumption. It is a leading cause of cancer, with 27% of all cancers attributable to the use of tobacco. In 2023, 24% of Europeans were estimated to be smokers. The objective of the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan is to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040, where less than 5% of the EU population uses tobacco products.
