PRESS RELEASE

SCOHRE Calls for Science-Based Tobacco Policy: The EU’s COP11 Position Risks Undermining Public Health and Consumer Choice

Brussels, 15 October 2025 — The International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction (SCOHRE) urges European policymakers and WHO FCTC Parties to prioritize science over ideology ahead of the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), taking place in Geneva next month.

The objective of the FCTC, established two decades ago, was clear: to address the global problem of smoking. While this goal remains paramount, the emerging EU draft position for COP11 risks conflating tobacco harm reduction with industry interference, disregarding robust scientific evidence and the lived experiences of millions of European consumers.

The EU’s proposed direction, which emphasizes prohibition, restriction, and heavier taxation of alternative nicotine products, may have unintended and harmful consequences. Excessive regulatory pressure could discourage adult smokers from switching to lower-risk products and drive demand to unregulated or illicit markets, ultimately undermining public health goals.

“We urge policymakers to prioritize science over ideology. Europe has a unique opportunity to lead with proportionate, evidence-based regulation that distinguishes between combustible tobacco and less harmful alternatives,” said Prof. Ignatios Ιkonomidis, President of SCOHRE. “Policies that treat all nicotine products as equally harmful risk reversing hard-won public health gains.”

The SCOHRE Consensus Statement on Tobacco Harm Reduction, adopted earlier this month, reaffirms that harm reduction is an important principle of modern public health — complementary to prevention and cessation. It calls for balanced regulation, adult access to reduced-risk products, and accurate communication of relative risks to consumers.

Prof. Andrzej Fal, SCOHRE Board Member and President of the Polish Society of Public Health, stressed that a one-dimensional approach will fail to serve citizens:

“The EU must avoid one-size-fits-all policies. Evidence from Sweden and other European countries shows that embracing harm reduction leads to lower smoking rates and longer life expectancy. Ignoring this will have lasting consequences for public health and consumer trust.”

The SCOHRE Evaluation of EU Measures highlights Sweden’s success — achieving the lowest smoking rate in Europe, just 5%, largely due to the transition from cigarettes to low-risk oral tobacco (snus). This model demonstrates that empowering consumers through less harmful choices can deliver real population-level benefits without undermining tobacco control objectives.

David T. Sweanor, SCOHRE Board Member and Chair of the Advisory Board at the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa, added:

“Efforts to protect cigarettes by discouraging substitution with lower-risk alternatives are an atrocious policy with totally foreseeable harm. Consumers respond to science and economics, not ideology. The EU has the chance to get this right, by aligning its policies with evidence, not fear.”

SCOHRE calls on the EU and WHO to ensure that the COP11 discussions recognize the growing body of scientific evidence supporting harm reduction. Constructive engagement —not confrontation— is essential to shape future policy frameworks that protect youth, respect adult choice, and reduce smoking-related disease and death across Europe.