Peter Liese: Proposal Leads to Justified Protests and Lacks Solid Scientific Basis

"The European Commission should withdraw and thoroughly revise the proposal for a Council recommendation on smoke- and aerosol-free environments," demands Dr. Peter Liese, the health policy spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian Democrats). The European Parliament rejected a resolution that generally supported the Commission's proposal last Thursday by a large majority.

"The debate on the parliamentary resolution has shown that the proposal is highly controversial and could strengthen anti-EU tendencies. If there were really good reasons, we should carry through with the idea, but I do not see them. Two points particularly bother me. First, there is a demand for a ban on smoking and vaping in outdoor dining areas. The scientific basis for this is quite thin. It is clear that passive smoking in enclosed spaces leads to health damage. However, it is difficult to prove that an occasional visit to a café or restaurant causes problems when someone smokes at a neighboring table. Given the difficulties that the hospitality industry faces post-COVID and due to staff shortages, the proposal is disproportionate. Even worse, I find it troubling that the Commission completely equates e-cigarettes with traditional cigarettes. This is definitely wrong, as a heavy smoker who switches from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes is doing something good for their health. Imposing restrictions, such as when visiting the outdoor areas of a café, might be counterproductive," emphasized Liese.

Liese can imagine that there could be recommendations to pronounce general smoking bans on playgrounds, in kindergartens, or schools, and particularly that the protection against nicotine addiction for children and teenagers needs to be improved. “Even though e-cigarettes are very beneficial for heavy smokers, disposable vapes often become a gateway to nicotine addiction for children, and we need to look closely at this," stressed the doctor and Member of the European Parliament. "The reminder that these are only recommendations and no direct ban is being demanded is not helpful because a ban is indeed being recommended. The Commission surely does not want its recommendations to be completely ignored. Therefore, they must face the criticism and should only call for bans that are truly justified," Liese concluded.