Official launch of the European initiative for a tobacco-free generation by 2030

The European initiative "Call to achieve a tobacco-free environment and the first tobacco-free European generation by 2030", supported by several European associations, was accepted by the European Commission on 24 August and was officially launched on 16 January 2023, and will end on 16 January 2024. The public launch will be marked by coordinated events organised in each country on 26 January 2023.

One million signatures from at least seven EU member states are needed for the European Commission to act on the initiative.

In order to reach the goal of collecting 1 million signatures, the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP) has developed a website containing all the necessary information on the measures taken. The website has been translated into all EU languages so that any European citizen can easily access it and disseminate it within their communities.

A coherent set of measures to achieve a tobacco-free generation

The initiators want European legislation to prevent young people from starting to use tobacco while limiting its impact on the environment. To achieve this, they recommend several measures, including:

– Promote the first European tobacco-free generation by 2028, by ending the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to citizens born since 2010;

– Create a European network of smoke-free beaches and riverbanks, making these spaces healthier and more ecologically sustainable;

– Create a European network of smoke-free national parks, to make them healthier and reduce cigarette butt pollution and fire risks;

– Expand outdoor spaces without tobacco or vaping, especially those frequented by minors (parks, swimming pools, events and sports centers, shows and restaurant terraces);

– Eliminate advertising and the presence of tobacco in audiovisual productions, social media, by specifically targeting “under the radar” advertising through influencers and product placement;

– Fund research and development projects on diseases caused by smoking in order to improve their prognosis and make them curable.

To sign the petition and access the website

The EU target of having a tobacco-free generation by 2040 is set in the European Beating Cancer Plan. Tobacco is the biggest preventable health risk in the EU, with 27.1% of all cancers attributed to its use. 25.1% of the European (EU) population smokes daily.

Keywords: tobacco-free generation, petition, initiative, European Union, Europe, young people

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE