Health Ministers Adopt Recommendation to Protect Against Second-Hand Smoke and Vapour
Health ministers from the European Union’s 27 member states agreed Tuesday to push for stricter anti-smoking rules, backing bans on smoking and vaping in many outdoor areas, including playgrounds and cafe patios. The ministers, meeting in Brussels, adopted a non-binding recommendation that invites member states to crack down on second-hand smoke and vapour.
EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi hailed the agreement as a crucial step towards achieving a tobacco-free generation in Europe, emphasizing its critical role in protecting children and young people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
Although the recommendation is non-binding, as health is a competence of individual member states, it provides an indication of the policies governments could pursue in the future to reduce smoke-related deaths and ailments. The vote saw all countries in favour, except for Germany and Greece, which abstained, highlighting some political divisions on the issue.
The approved document calls on EU countries to extend restrictions in place for cigarettes to cover “emerging products,” such as heated tobacco devices and electronic cigarettes, which are increasingly popular with young people. Governments should provide effective protection from aerosols emitted by these products in indoor environments, such as offices and public buildings, and in some outdoor areas, including swimming pools, beaches, zoos, rooftop bars, and restaurant terraces.
The push aligns with the EU’s goal to reduce its smoking population from around 25 percent now to less than five percent of the total by 2040, as part of its “Beating Cancer Plan.” The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco use kills more than eight million people globally each year, including about 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
However, treating smoking and vaping the same way remains contentious. Italy and Romania, in a joint declaration ahead of the vote, stated that calls for a ban on outdoor vaping lacked scientific basis and should not have been included in the recommendation. Despite this, both countries backed the text.
Germany abstained, stating that the issue fell within the competences of its regions, not the central government, and some opposed a ban on smoking in outdoor terraces and patios. Greece also voiced skepticism about the effect of such rules, calling for more scientific data on the effects of e-cigarettes.
Last week, the European Parliament voted against a similar resolution after lawmakers on the right passed amendments to differentiate between traditional tobacco products and electronic devices. This drew criticism from the left, which had supported the original text but rejected its watered-down version. Pietro Fiocchi, a lawmaker with the hard-right ECR group, called the outdoor smoking ban “a violation of individual freedom.”
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