Key Points
- Signatories: 83 international experts in public health and tobacco control jointly sent the letter.
- Main request: Oppose taxing e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches at levels comparable to conventional cigarettes.
- Evidence base: Experiences in countries such as Sweden, the UK, and New Zealand show that lower-risk products can significantly reduce smoking rates and disease burden.
- Policy risk: High excise taxes would hinder smoking cessation and switching, effectively protecting the cigarette trade and straying from evidence-based policymaking.
- Public-health outlook: If the EU pursues a “high-tax strategy,” it may set a negative global example, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
2Firsts, September 2, 2025 — According to EUreporter, 83 international experts in public health, nicotine dependence, and tobacco control have written to the President of the European Commission and the College of Commissioners to express concerns about the EU’s upcoming revision of the Tobacco Excise Directive. They warn that imposing high taxes on lower-risk nicotine alternatives—e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches—would stall harm-reduction progress and directly damage public health.
In their letter, the experts note that recent public statements by EU officials suggesting that “non-combustible nicotine products pose risks comparable to cigarettes” are at odds with existing scientific evidence and run counter to the principles of evidence-based public health policy.
They emphasize that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the EU, causing nearly 700,000 premature deaths annually. Currently, 26% of EU adults (29% among those aged 15–24) smoke. A large body of research shows that non-combustible products—e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches—are significantly less harmful than cigarettes and have helped millions of smokers quit.
The experts cite international experience to support their position:
- Sweden: With widespread use of snus and nicotine pouches, daily tobacco use is the lowest in the EU (<5%), and cancer incidence is 41% lower than the EU average.
- United Kingdom: The government encourages smokers to switch to vaping; smoking prevalence fell from 17% to 12% over five years.
- New Zealand: Daily smoking declined from 16% in 2011/12 to 7% in 2023/24, while daily vaping rose to 11% over the same period.
The letter stresses that while protecting minors is essential, this can be achieved by strictly enforcing existing restrictions on advertising and sales rather than imposing high taxes that deter adult smokers from switching to lower-risk products.
The authors state bluntly: “If fiscal and regulatory measures prevent smokers from moving to lower-risk alternatives, that is not only unethical; it effectively protects the cigarette trade.”
They conclude that EU public health is at a critical crossroads. In the coming months, the EU plans to advance both the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Tobacco Excise Directive. A “tax raid” on lower-risk products, they warn, would keep more people smoking cigarettes, harm public health, and set a negative precedent worldwide—especially for low- and middle-income countries.
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