Can the EU ban smoking? Not really, but it can make it so expensive smokers think twice before lighting that cigarette.
That is the idea behind the European Commission's proposed overhaul of the Tobacco Taxation Directive (TTD), which aims to raise minimum excise duties on cigarettes by 139 percent. It will also introduce EU-wide minimum taxes on vapes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches. The proposal is still under negotiation because it requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states.
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Smoking remains widespread, with around 24 percent of Europeans still smoking and roughly 300 billion cigarettes sold across the EU every year. Smoking-related illnesses contribute to around 700,000 deaths annually and cost an estimated €25 billion in healthcare spending. Current tobacco rules helped reduce the rates, cannot deal with the rise of newer nicotine products and online marketing, which are affecting the next generations.
According to the World Health Organization, 11.6 percent of teenagers aged 13 to 15 in the European region use products such as vapes, heated tobacco devices, or nicotine pouches. The Commission wants to tax these products for the first time at EU level and expand its tobacco tracking system to help combat illegal trade.
If adopted, the revised directive would increase the price of cigarettes and many alternative nicotine products while raising compliance costs for tobacco companies.