Innovation is “key” for meeting the EU’s ambitious 2040 smoke-free target.
That means giving adults “room” to move to safer products, says We Are Innovation, a global network of over 50 think tanks and NGOs.
It conducted a major study of over 4,000 friends, partners and family members of former smokers across five countries.
One message to emerge from the survey is the demand for an “open, evidence-led discussion” on the issue of smoking cessation.
In a Q&A with Brussels Morning, the organisation’s CEO, Federico Fernandez, argues that innovation in nicotine can improve life – not just for the smoker “but for everyone around them.”
Brussels Morning:
Could the EU be doing more to encourage smokers to switch, and if so what?
Federico Fernandez:
“Yes, and much of it comes down to giving innovation room to help. Smokers switch when there are better products to switch to, so the priority should be to let that market develop responsibly rather than hold it back.
“That means rules that match the risk instead of treating every nicotine product like a cigarette, revisiting the ban on snus, and setting clear, workable standards for pouches and vapes so companies can keep investing and improving them.
“It also means trusting health authorities to share the evidence with smokers, namely that switching completely is far less harmful than continuing to smoke. Innovation is a large part of why quitting is now within reach for so many people, and sensible regulation can help that progress continue.”
BM:
Does the political will exist to hit the 2040 smoke-free target?
Federico Fernandez:
“The 2040 goal is one we share, and we think innovation is the EU’s best ally in reaching it. The encouraging news is that the science on innovative nicotine products keeps strengthening.
“Our hope is simply that this evidence is given a full hearing as the rules are written. We would rather assume good faith and keep the conversation open than question motives. The more the debate stays anchored in data, the more likely everyone is to land in the same place.”
BM:
There are calls for “better regulation.” What does that mean? Should the EU follow the Swedish model?
Federico Fernandez:
“For us, better regulation means letting innovation work by matching the rules to the risk: firmer where harm is high, lighter where it is low. Sweden is a useful example to learn from.
“By giving adults room to move to safer products, it now has the lowest smoking rate in Europe and has become smoke-free. The EU does not need to copy any single country, but Sweden’s experience is well worth studying as part of an open, evidence-led discussion.
BM:
Why only one EU country in the survey? Why not Belgium or the Netherlands, which have high smoking rates?
Federico Fernandez:
“It is a fair question. The study was designed to be global, spanning three continents, so France represents continental Europe alongside the US, Canada, the UK and Japan. France is actually a demanding test case, with more cautious views on these products, which makes the positive findings there all the more interesting.
“Adding countries like Belgium or the Netherlands in a future wave is a constructive suggestion, and one we would genuinely welcome.”
BM:
What is the main message of the survey?
Federico Fernandez:
“The main message is a hopeful one: innovation in nicotine improves life not just for the smoker, but for everyone around them. By asking the partners, parents, children and friends of people who quit, the survey captures something the debate often misses, namely that the benefits of switching reach the whole household.
“Cleaner air, better moods, more time spent together. It is a reminder that when we give people better tools to quit, the good effects ripple outward to entire families and communities.”
BM:
What confidence do you have that the EU will take heed? If it ignores this, is that hypocrisy?
Federico Fernandez:
“We are quietly optimistic. Decision-makers have said they want evidence-based, citizen-centred policy, so we see this survey as a friendly contribution to exactly that. Our role is to make sure the voices of over 4,000 ordinary people are part of the conversation. If those views are considered seriously, we think the case for innovation speaks for itself, and we would rather focus our energy on making that case well than on assigning blame.”
BM:
Can you comment on the Tobacco Products Directive review and the recent vote in the EU Parliament?
Federico Fernandez:
“The committee’s interest in a “less risk, lower taxes” approach is an encouraging sign that risk-proportionate thinking is gaining ground. “The TPD review is the bigger opportunity, because it is where the EU can decide to reward innovation by treating products according to their actual risk/safety spectrum. We see this as a real chance to build common ground between public-health goals and the case for innovative, safer alternatives.”
BM
Lifestyle changes were a key part of the survey. How would you summarise the findings there?
Federico Fernandez:
“The picture is a positive one. When someone quits, daily life tends to improve for everyone around them, and it improves more when they switch with the help of innovative products. Households reported doing more together, going out, exercising, sharing meals. The home felt calmer and more sociable, and the air was cleaner for everyone in it.”
BM
The survey reports marked improvements in “behaviour” for those who used INPs. How did behaviour improve?
Federico Fernandez:
“This is really about how a person comes across day to day. Friends and family noticed better mood, more confidence, more sociability, and a stronger sense of presence, the feeling that their loved one is fully there again.
“What stood out is that these social and emotional gains were consistently greater when the person switched with the help of innovative nicotine products such as vapes, heated tobacco, or nicotine pouches, which says something encouraging about the role those tools can play.”
BM
The survey cites improvements related to “appearance and physical attributes, including the way they (smokers) smell.” Can you elaborate, especially on smell?
Federico Fernandez:
“Smell was the change people noticed most. Once the burning stops, the stale smoke smell goes with it, on breath, hair and clothes, and throughout the home and car. Families also saw improvements in skin, general appearance and physical health. These are everyday, visible signs that a genuine change has taken hold, and they help explain why households feel the difference so strongly.”
BM
Friends and family reported noticeably greater positive changes when loved ones used INPs. What were these changes?
Federico Fernandez:
“Across almost every measure, the gains were larger when the person switched rather than quitting with no support at all: less secondhand smoke at home, better mood and confidence, more shared activities, and a stronger belief that the quit would last.
“In short, the people closest to the smoker felt that innovation made a real and welcome difference, which is a finding we think is worth celebrating and discussing further.”
