To: Members of the European Parliament
Brussels, 9th February 2022
Support amendments for a stronger public health perspective on novel products such as heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP) recommend you strengthen the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) report on novel tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. Specifically, we ask you to support the 6 amendments tabled by MEPs Fritzon, Moretti and Casares (on behalf of the S&D Group). They seek to improve the text in line with currently available research, clinical evidence and recommendations of the WHO on new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products.
The joint position of ERS and ENSP on novel products is guided by scientific evidence and the precautionary principle, and such products are not recommended for smoking cessation purposes. Furthermore:
In order to beat cancer, the ultimate goal must be for current smokers to stop smoking and not to switch to an alternative addictive product. Young people should be free both from any exposure to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and their aerosols in public and private spaces. Also, from the industry’s and interest groups’ promotion of such products7.
We fully support the amendments to Paragraph 7 and 12 and other additions of new recitals and citations, proposed by MEPs Fritzon, Moretti and Casares on behalf of the S&D Group. We encourage you to follow your conscience, rather than party political positions and vote for them.
Yours sincerely,
Prof Jonathan Grigg – Chair of the European Respiratory Society Tobacco Control Committee
Dr Francisco Rodriguez Lozano – President of the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention
References
About ERS: European Respiratory Society (ERS) is an international organisation that brings together physicians, healthcare professionals, scientists and other experts working in respiratory medicine. We are one of the leading medical organisations in the respiratory field, with a growing membership representing over 160 countries. Our mission is to promote lung health and alleviate suffering from disease and drive standards for respiratory medicine globally. Science, education and advocacy are at the core of everything we do.
About ENSP: The European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP) is an international membership non-profit organisation, established in 1997. ENSP’s mission is to develop a strategy for co-ordinated action among organisations active in tobacco control in Europe to support the WHO FCTC implementation across Europe and to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in Europe to less than 5% by 2040. Our vision for the future is to eliminate the health inequalities among European citizens and their suffering caused by ill health and early death due to tobacco-related diseases. We strive to achieve it via projects and activities in the fields of prevention, smoking cessation, and research.
World No Tobacco Day 2023 presents an opportunity to examine the multifaceted challenges posed by tobacco cultivation and advocate for a sustainable future. Here are the key messages of...
4P-CAN (Personalised Cancer Primary Prevention Research through Citizen Participation and Digitally Enabled Social Innovation) is a HORIZON project (HORIZON-MISS-2022-CANCER-01, Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA) which aims, during 4 years, to build...
In order to support the implementation of Article 14 of the WHO FCTC, ENSP developed the European Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Dependence. These guidelines are the most recent and globally...