November 2024. ETHRA wrote to all members of the SANT Committee to highlight the fact that there is no scientific or public health basis to extend the recommendation to include vape aerosol. We also ask Committee members to request a proper risk evaluation on the relative risks of safer nicotine products compared to combustible tobacco. See the letter below.
Dear SANT Committee member,
On Tuesday 17 September the European Commission published the Council’s updated recommendation on smoke-free environments and on 17 October the recommendation was discussed by the SANT committee.
We want to point out that the purpose of the Recommendation on Smoke-Free Environments is to protect people in the EU from exposure to second-hand smoke, as well as to encourage current smokers to quit. Since second-hand vape aerosol is of negligible risk to bystanders, as pointed out by the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England, there is no scientific or public health basis to extend the recommendation to include vape aerosol.
We would like to ask you to urge the Commission to scientifically evaluate the health risks related to vapes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches compared to combustible tobacco products as mentioned in the resolution on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer.
This was reiterated in the resolution on Non-communicable diseases.
For further information we would like to point to ETHRA’s submission to the targeted consultation - Survey for Smoke-Free Environments so that experiences from people with lived experience can be taken into account in any further discussion that may take place.
Feel free to contact me should you have further question or if there is anything you would like to discuss in further detail.
Damian Sweeney
on behalf of ETHRA & partners
About ETHRA: European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) is the voice of 27 million EU consumers of safer nicotine products. ETHRA is a consortium of 24 grassroots consumer associations in 17 European countries, supported by experts in tobacco control and nicotine research. We are a voluntary operation with no industry funding or conflicts of interest. Our transparency registration number is 354946837243-73.
A note on ETHRA’s preferred terms for products
As people with lived experience of using Safer Nicotine Products (SNPs), we generally choose to use these terms:
- ‘vapes’, ‘vaping products’ and ‘vaping’, rather than ‘e-cigarettes’ or ‘ENDS’.
- ‘HTPs’ to refer to Heated Tobacco Products.
- ‘Nicotine pouches’ for non-tobacco containing oral sachets.
- ‘snus’ refers to the pasteurised Scandinavian oral tobacco product, either in loose or pouch form.