EU Urged to Choose Harm Reduction Over Vape Bans
As the European Union considers its next steps on nicotine policy, a coalition of think tanks under the banner “Prohibition Does Not Work” is issuing a stark warning: banning safer nicotine products cedes the market to criminals, denies smokers effective alternatives, and ultimately fails to protect public health. Citing the negative outcomes of prohibitionist policies in countries like Brazil, Australia, and Germany, the coalition is urging Brussels to adopt a risk-proportionate, evidence-based harm reduction framework instead of pursuing widespread bans.
The core principle of harm reduction is to help people move from the most dangerous form of nicotine consumption—smoked tobacco—to far safer non-combustible options like vaping or nicotine pouches, while simultaneously preventing youth uptake. The reports highlight authoritative UK evidence reviews estimating vaping to be around 95% less harmful than smoking, arguing that countries that regulate rather than ban these alternatives are cutting smoking rates faster.
The coalition points to several international case studies as cautionary tales:
- Brazil:Â A nationwide ban on e-cigarettes has not stopped use, but has instead created a billion-dollar black market controlled by organized crime. Up to 2.9 million people now use illicit vapes, with seized products found to contain toxic metals and even fentanyl. Youth use stands at 8.7%, and adult smoking has reportedly risen.
- Australia:Â A de facto ban via a prescription-only model has supercharged the illicit market, leading to over 200 arson attacks linked to tobacco/vape trade turf wars. Youth vaping remains high (14.5% of 14-17-year-olds), and smoking rates have reportedly begun to rise again as legal alternatives became inaccessible.
- Germany:Â With a restrictive approach, an estimated 1.4 million adults use illegal nicotine pouches, while the country’s smoking rate has stagnated and remains the highest in Europe.
These examples, the coalition argues, show that bans predictably create lucrative opportunities for smugglers, expose consumers to unregulated products, and make youth protection harder as criminals do not perform age checks. They contend that the EU’s role should be to reduce avoidable disease and shrink the illicit market. The proposed solution is a risk-proportionate framework that legalizes and standardizes non-combustible products with rigorous ingredient specifications, mandates robust age-verification and marketing rules to reduce youth appeal, and empowers enforcement against illicit supply chains. “Let’s choose the policy that saves lives and starves criminals—not the one that does the reverse,” the coalition urges.
- Article source: Prohibition fails: Europe needs harm-reduction, not bans
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