For the first time in history, Europe has the opportunity to phase out smoking completely—not through bans, but by accelerating the transition to harm reduction alternatives.
EPIC’s latest report, The End of Smoking?, argues that Europe’s war on tobacco has been ineffective and that a science-driven approach to harm reduction is the real solution. By incentivizing the switch from cigarettes to less harmful alternatives like heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, Europe can:
✅ Save millions of lives by reducing smoking-related diseases.
✅ Prevent the rise of illicit markets and dangerous unregulated products.
✅ Boost economic resilience by supporting a €215 billion industry that employs over 2 million people.
✅ Ensure smarter public policy that balances health outcomes with innovation.
Sweden’s success with snus proves that harm reduction works. If Europe follows suit, smoking prevalence could plummet—without unintended economic or social costs. The EU’s current prohibitionist stance is failing, and the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Tobacco Taxation Directive (TTD) presents a critical opportunity to rethink tobacco regulation.
