A majority of European Union (EU) health ministers have expressed support for stricter smoking restrictions in public areas to reduce cancer-related deaths, following a vote on new non-binding recommendations in Brussels.
The proposed guidelines aim to ban smoking in outdoor public spaces frequented by children and vulnerable groups, such as playgrounds, amusement parks, swimming pools, restaurant terraces, and public transport areas. Emerging tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco devices, are also targeted to discourage youth smoking.
The European Commission called for the revision of the current guidelines, first established in 2009, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco.
“Every year, around 700,000 people in the EU die due to tobacco consumption,” said EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi. “Tobacco remains the largest avoidable health risk in the EU, responsible for a quarter of cancer deaths across member states, Iceland, and Norway.”
Reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols is a core objective of the new recommendations, which aim to better protect non-smokers and promote public health.
Germany, known for having some of the least stringent smoking restrictions in the EU, abstained from the vote. German Health Secretary Thomas Steffen stated that while the federal government supports stricter smoking guidelines, resistance from Germany’s 16 states—responsible for smoking legislation—led to the decision to abstain.
Health policy in the EU remains the responsibility of individual member states, meaning the recommendations are not legally binding, and their implementation is at the discretion of national governments.
Despite being non-binding, the recommendations have been widely welcomed as a step toward reducing tobacco-related health risks across the EU. The initiative also underscores the EU’s commitment to tackling preventable health risks, including cancer, which remains a leading cause of death in the region.
