Changing Smoking Reduction Policy – The process or result is important? / Day

EPIC researchers emphasize that the policy of restrictions so far has not brought the desired results, while innovation in new technologies can be more effective in combating the spread of smoking in European countries. The fact that the change of policy so far can lead to good results is evidenced by positive trends in countries such as Sweden, Great Britain and Japan. In these countries, the anti -smoking focus has a damage strategy to promote the availability of less harmful alternatives to nicotine and tobacco products, thus reducing the amount of tobacco damage to public health.

Unlike a strict prohibition policy that has not been able to prevent smoking, the harm reduction model recognizes that not all nicotine products pose the same level of risk. When designing a tax and market regulation policy according to the harm caused by specific products, smokers can switch to less harmful alternatives, significantly reducing the amount of smoking -related illnesses, while promoting innovation in the development of new and less harmful nicotine and tobacco products. This approach encourages smokers who are unable or not to quit, switching to less harmful alternatives to significantly reduce the health risks caused by traditional cigarettes. The principle of damage to the damage is also used to ensure a balanced regulation that at the same time improves public health and reduces the risk of increased illegal market growth.

Request wins bans

The assumption that the prohibitions and stricter regulation can prevent the use of tobacco products is an illusory and ignores the real facts: people will always find ways to get what they want, regardless of bureaucratic administrative obstacles they will be imposed on them. The fight against tobacco products has never been just a matter of health, but is based on an ideologically motivated fight against human nature. Therefore, this confrontation has had a negative impact on both the overall health situation and the EU economy.

Human nature has won and ideologically motivated policy has suffered defeat. Demand has won all bans. People are smoking not because they are not aware or misleading, but because tobacco meets specific people’s needs – social, psychological and physiological. It may or may not like it, but the prohibitions cannot simply delete people’s needs and demand.

Given that the prohibitions so far have not been effective, national policies should also be changed, replacing the prohibition approach with a more pragmatic damage strategy. A similar policy change has already taken place for other harmful substances such as alcohol, sugar, drugs. Instead of trying to completely eradicate the use of these substances, countries have begun to apply measures that are increasingly focused on reducing the effects of these substances: safer consumption, regulated alternatives and public health campaigns that emphasize healthier choices rather than direct prohibitions.

However, the policy of the tobacco sector remains an exception and is climbed to the old, failed approach. Instead of introducing changes and changing the current position on the use of tobacco products, for years, policies are being introduced for years, hoping that the next restriction will definitely eventually change people’s habits. The reality is that the demand will not disappear – it will continue to adapt, but if people are too tight, the demand will move to the illegal market. History confirms that even a complete ban on tobacco will not delete the desire for tobacco products, it will only be an incentive for the flourishing of the illegal market.

An important role in the economy

One of the reasons why tobacco policies are so conservative and not changed could be the relatively role of this sector in the EU economy and the fear that any change can cut a big budget gap. In 2023, the Tobacco and Nicotine Production Industry 27 EU Member States provided EUR 215 billion, which is more than, for example, telecommunications and textile industries. The industry employs more than 1.6 million workers with a total salary of approximately € 43.5 billion. Each direct workplace in tobacco production creates another 23 jobs in other sectors: about 8 jobs in supply networks, 11 wholesale, distribution and retail trade, and about 4 additional jobs in the overall economy of the EU Member States.

The tobacco industry is an essential source of tax revenue for EU countries – in 2023 tax revenue from tobacco amounted to EUR 111.1 billion (excise tax revenue – EUR 83.3 billion, VAT revenue – EUR 27.8 billion. It is approximately 1.3 % of the total revenue of all 27 Member States.

Tobacco excise tax revenue for countries is very important. For example, in 2022, they were 3.5 times the tax revenue (€ 23.6 billion), as well as tax revenue for sugar and sweetened beverages (€ 256 million). However, the growth rate of tobacco tax revenue has slowed down in recent years, with a decrease from 4.3 % to 1.4 %. This is mainly due to a reduction in sales.

Tobacco is also one of the sectors in which the EU has had a positive trade balance and has a dominant global impact. In the year 2023, the EU accounted for 39.2 % of the world’s tobacco exports and 43.7 % of imports. In addition, EU tobacco export prices are higher than the world average price level.

Following the prolonged dominance of tobacco exports of tobacco products, the EU became a net importer in 2022, reflecting increasing competition. The EU is currently facing growing challenges of economic and politics, with global trade tensions increasing and the role of China in the development of nicotine alternatives. As the illegal market for tobacco products expand, which is facilitated by increasing restrictions on tobacco products, at the same time, the fiscal revenue of EU countries will be reduced.

Tobacco tax revenue in 2023 accounted for 1.4 %of total EU Member States’ revenue, including in Bulgaria up to more than 6.2 %and 4.5 %in Romania. Economically strong countries such as Germany and France are also largely dependent on tobacco tax revenue. Tobacco tax revenue accounted for 1.1 % and 1.3 % of the total state revenue respectively. A reduction in tobacco tax revenue can lead to significant pressure on EU countries, causing tax increases or a significant reduction in social support and services.

Should be reformed by the national approach

Tobacco market and industry have undergone significant changes in recent years – the consumption of traditional tobacco products is reduced, but demand for less harmful products (heated tobacco, veipi, nicotine pads, etc.) is increasing. Including traditional cigarettes from 2016 to 2023 decreased by 14 %.

Country experience shows that these alternative nicotine products can be used as a means of reducing smoking spread. Providing less harmful alternatives to smokers can make significant improvements in public health, without practicing the restrictions on the stands and without experiencing the negative effects of such prohibitions. As cigarette smokers switch to new alternatives, the amount and effects of harmful chemicals are significantly reduced.

Given that new nicotine and tobacco products have new innovations and these technologies continue to develop, in the future they may play a significant role in speeding up the reduction of traditional cigarette smoking.

The data show that a reduction in the spread of cigarette smoking is already closely correlated with an increase in the use of alternative products. In the Czech Republic, for example, cigarette smoking has decreased by 7 %, but the use of heated tobacco has increased by 3 %. Meanwhile, in Sweden, thanks to the mowed tobacco, or SNUS is currently the lowest number of smokers across Europe. Sweden contributed to the spread of Snus as a cigarette substitute, through tax policy. Excise duty on cigarettes is more than four times higher than Snus. The frequency of new lung cancer has significantly reduced by Snus replacing cigarettes. This is especially true among men who are the main group that switches from cigarettes to snus. Between 2011 and 2023, the incidence of lung cancer among men decreased from 20.5 to 14.7 cases per 100,000, brightly showing the positive results of the damage reduction approach. Similarly, Sweden can see lower smoking -related diseases in the EU, including Swedes less affected by cancer, cardiovascular disease.

The damage strategy has already brought a positive result in countries like the UK and Japan. The United Kingdom has chosen Veipus as less harmful alternatives, while Japanese with differentiated tax policy supports the heated tobacco, which has led to a reduction in the sale of cigarettes. Examples of these countries show that the availability of alternatives to tobacco and nicotine products can successfully reduce the spread of cigarette smoking without the use of ineffective prohibitions, EPIC experts conclude.