Estonia recommends stricter EU regulations on tobacco, nicotine products

TALLINN - The Eu affairs committee of the Estonian parliament unanimously approved Estonia's proposals to the European Commission on Friday, recommending significantly stricter regulations for new nicotine-containing products across the European Union.

Estonia believes a unified approach across the EU is necessary to improve the health not only of Estonia but of the entire European continent. Estonia suggests that the European Commission establish lists of permitted flavors and set upper limits on nicotine content across Europe, ban online sales, and implement standard packaging to reduce product attractiveness. Additionally, it is recommended to expand the scope of smoke-free areas and ban the marketing of disposable e-cigarettes.

"This is a matter of survival -- Estonians, especially the youth, hold a regrettable first place globally in e-cigarette use. Consumption is rapidly increasing, and we have an unprecedented number of different products registered for sale. Our concern for the health of Estonians and the environmental damage is significant. Us taking action at a national level is not entirely effective because goods move freely within the European Union. Unfortunately, we also see the results of tobacco lobbying in Estonia, with much misleading information and ignorance. I was particularly pleased to hear from youth representatives today that they expect more decisiveness from politicians in restricting nicotine," Liisa Pakosta, chair of the EU affairs committee of the Riigikogu, said.

"We support EU-wide regulations, but we also want to see much more prevention and awareness work at the domestic level. It is necessary to protect the lives and health of people, including our loved ones. Isamaa believes that more funds should be directed towards promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among the youth," committee member Riina Solman said.

According to the 2020 health behavior survey of the adult population in Estonia, 3.8 percent of the adult population were regular users of electronic cigarettes, while in 2022, this figure had risen to 10.4 percent.

The increase among young women is a particularly concerning trend, where the number of daily cigarette users had grown to 11.5 percent in just a few years. Additionally, the number of nicotine pouch users has increased in the younger age group, with 20 percent of men aged 16-24 being regular users in 2022.