Smoking outdoors including at cafes, rooftop bars, beaches, and playgrounds may soon be a thing of the past after EU health ministers agreed on Tuesday to tighten antismoking measures as part of efforts to minimize the smoking population.
The recommendation adopted by 27 member states is non-binding. Greece and Germany abstained from the vote citing concerns about scientific data and effectiveness as well as political divide. Italy and Romania also expressed reservations citing insufficient scientific evidence but backed the document. The directive has however created controversy with critics saying it violates personal freedom.
Commenting on Greece’s decision, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis was reported as saying that Greece had already implemented key points of the recommendation since 2019, particularly concerning the protection of public health from second-hand smoke, especially for minors, and its implementation in a number of outdoor areas.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis
He went on to add however that measures aimed at protecting public health must be realistic and implementable based on thorough impact studies and scientific data which would then ensure effective protection of public health.
“Today’s agreement is a crucial step towards our goal of a tobacco-free generation in Europe, and is critical in protecting our children and young people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. This is an important part of our work to tackle preventable cancer, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses across Europe,” said European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhely.
The move comes as part of the “European Beating Cancer Plan” aiming to slash the smoking population from 25% to below 5% by 2040.
The approved text also urges EU governments to also restrict “emerging products” such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco devices.
Meanwhile, Greece is still slow at reducing its smoking population. A survey published late last month found that only 44.4% of Greek households were smoke-free compared to the EU average of 70.2%.
