5 November, 2024
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) has issued a joint call alongside a number of other health-focused organisations for the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) to be accelerated during the new European Commission mandate.
The statement calls for a correction to a loss of momentum since initiatives were proposed in 2021 as part of the ‘Prevention Pillar’ of the plan. It notes the Mission Letter from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the Health Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi which calls for a ‘comprehensive approach to health promotion and disease prevention across the life course’.
ERS and its partners welcome recent developments in this policy area, particularly the Commission’s proposal on the Council Recommendation on Smoke Free Environments (an element of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan).
However, the joint call highlights the increasing evidence which demonstrates the health risks posed by novel products and their potential overall societal harms, including the indication of a correlation between the use of Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) and respiratory illness. It urges Member States to ban the use of vapes and HTPs and in indoor and outdoor places.
The statement calls for the Commission’s proposal to be approved by the Council as soon as possible and upon the Hungarian Presidency – to ensure its approval by December 2024.
Tobacco consumption remains one of the leading causes of preventable illness and premature death in the EU, contributing to a number of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and accounting for close to 700,000 deaths in the EU each year.
Dr Filippos Filippidis, ERS Tobacco Control Committee Chair, said: “The tobacco initiatives under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan present a significant opportunity for tobacco control and protecting the youth and general population from the harmful effects of tobacco and emerging products.
“The EU has a responsibility to update legislations that are now lagging behind the tobacco industry’s innovation.”
Dimitris Kontopidis, Chair of the European Lung Foundation, said: “Smoke from tobacco and novel products greatly impact lung health and are particularly harmful for patients. The rise in use of novel products in the youth is extremely concerning, which is why the revisions of the tobacco legislations are needed. We call on the European Commission to launch this imminently.”
The update of the Council Recommendations is one element of the ‘Prevention Pillar’ of the EBCP, which unfortunately has seen initiatives proposed in 2021 stall significantly.
Read the full statement, including its specific calls on the EU Commission and Member States.
Learn more about ERS advocacy activities related to tobacco control.
The joint statement was made by the European Cancer Organisation, the European Lung Foundation, the European Respiratory Society, Lungs Europe, the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, the European Society for Medical Oncology, the European Society of Cardiology, Lung Cancer Europe and the Smoke Free Partnership.