BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 17/09/2024 – The long-awaited Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on Smoke- and Aerosol-Free Environments has finally been released. Although non-binding, the Recommendation offers crucial support to those EU countries with weaker laws and low levels of compliance, such as Germany, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia . Indeed, the 2023 Eurobarometer reveals significant disparities among EU countries regarding outdoor smoke-free policies. Residents of Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus are far more likely to be exposed to second- and third-hand smoke compared to those living in Hungary, Finland, and Latvia. 

By including a great variety of outdoor spaces, like bus stops, playgrounds and rooftops, and by expanding such provisions to new products like electronic cigarettes, the Commission’s proposal is an important first step in the direction of a healthier Europe. The recommendation of making “designated outdoor recreational areas” smoke- and aerosol-free, the main goal of this proposal is to protect children, youth and non-smokers. Evidence shows that children exposed to tobacco smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, aural dysfunction, and the aggravation of asthma. The Smoke Free Partnership, a public health coalition of over 55 NGOs across Europe working on tobacco control, welcomed the Commission’s proposal on smoke- and aerosol-free environments.

“In 2004 Ireland became the first country in the world to pass a smoke-free ban and, at the time, the tobacco industry predicted that it would have a catastrophic impact on the hospitality industry and that the law would not be supported by the people. Despite the tobacco industry's lies that smoke-free legislation would harm the hospitality sector, the past 20 years have proven otherwise”, said SFP Director Lilia Olefir.

Young Europeans are the demographic group most exposed to second- and third5 -hand smoke, according to the results of the 2023 Eurobarometer. Almost 80% of respondents aged 15-24 reported encountering people smoking all kinds of tobacco products on outdoor terraces. Additionally, almost 40% of respondents saw people smoking the last time they visited outdoor spaces intended for children or adolescents (such as playgrounds, and nursery and school courtyards). This figure rises to 49% for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

SFP welcomes the proposal’s provisions on banning use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in indoor and outdoor public places, particularly given the absence of harmonised EU-level regulations, and encourages the Hungarian Presidency to table the proposal by the end of the year. 

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