EU Countries to Push for Outdoor Vaping and Smoking Bans

EU countries outdoor smoking vaping bans

EU health ministers are set to support stricter anti-smoking rules during their meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, backing bans on smoking and vaping in various outdoor areas, including playgrounds and cafe patios. The ministers will consider a non-binding recommendation that invites member states to crack down on second-hand smoke and vapor, which is likely to be approved despite political divisions on the issue.

The draft document calls on EU countries to extend restrictions currently in place for cigarettes to cover “emerging products,” such as heated tobacco devices and electronic cigarettes, which are increasingly popular among young people. Governments should provide effective protection from aerosols emitted by these products in indoor environments, such as offices and public buildings, as well as in some outdoor areas, including swimming pools, beaches, zoos, rooftop bars, and restaurant terraces.

The push for stricter anti-smoking rules aligns with the EU’s goal of reducing its smoking population from around 25 percent currently to less than five percent by 2040, as part of its “Beating Cancer Plan.” Tobacco use is estimated to kill more than eight million people globally each year, including about 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics.

Treating smoking and vaping the same way has proven contentious. In a joint declaration, Italy and Romania stated that calls for a ban on outdoor vaping lacked scientific basis and should not have been included in the recommendation. However, the two countries are still expected to back the text, according to a diplomatic source.

Last week, the European Parliament voted against a resolution on the same subject after lawmakers on the right passed amendments to differentiate between traditional tobacco products and electronic devices. This drew the ire of the left, which had supported the original text but rejected its watered-down version. The parliamentary resolution, which would have had only symbolic value, was turned down with 378 votes against and only 152 in favor.

Matthew Ma
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