EU health ministers recommend increased protection against second-hand smoke and aerosols

Meeting on December 3, European Union health ministers adopted a recommendation that will help reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols and achieve a tobacco-free generation in Europe by 2040 as set out in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, a statement by the Council of the EU said.

The recommendation on smoke and aerosol-free environments adopted today encourages EU countries to broaden the scope of their existing protection against second-hand smoke exposure to include key outdoor areas like playgrounds and restaurant terraces.

The new measures will also apply to emerging tobacco and related products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

Since the adoption of the last EU ministers recommendation on smoke-free areas in 2009, a number of new tobacco and related products have been developed, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and heated herbal products, the statement said.

Their emissions may be inhaled by bystanders, exposing them to potentially harmful levels of toxicants, contaminants, and other air pollutants, it said.

The recommendation adopted on December 3 extends the provisions of the 2009 recommendation to aerosol-emitting products. To provide effective protection, EU countries will be encouraged to further restrict the use of these products in certain public spaces, public transport as well as in the workplace.

The new recommendation also recognises the prevalence and potential harmful effects, particularly to children and young people, of second-hand exposure to smoke and aerosols in outdoor spaces.

These spaces include restaurant terraces, playgrounds, beaches and public transport. The EU ministers therefore recommend that EU countries extend protection from second-hand smoke and aerosols to include a broader range of places.

The European Commission is expected to report on the progress made in implementing this recommendation within five years of the December 3 adoption.

In its recommendation, the Council of the EU also highlights the importance of coupling the measures with intense work on the evaluation and revision of the EU’s tobacco legislation.