The European Tobacco Wholesalers Association (E.T.V.) was established in 1973 as the representative body of the European tobacco wholesalers and operators of cigarette vending machines. Today, the E.T.V. represents national associations and companies in the tobacco wholesale sector in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

According to the “Special Eurobarometer 506“[1], a survey commissioned by the European Commission, 24.7% of Europe’s adult population (18+) smoke - this is around one quarter of the population, or over 90 million adults. The question of whether this is good or bad is not the issue here; instead the discussion addresses the fact that there are 90 million consumers with a demand for tobacco products, and how to deal with this situation in the reality of everyday life.

Regulation of tobacco products in the broader sense, i.e. the production and trading of tobacco products, and stipulations on the locations where smoking is allowed and/or not allowed, are not a phenomenon of our time, but has been in operation on European soil for almost as long as tobacco has been consumed in Europe.

There are undeniable and proven health risks associated with the use of tobacco products. It is therefore absolutely correct that tobacco product packages should carry warnings reminding consumers of this fact every time they reach for a pack.

‘Novel products’ have been available on the market for several years now. Whether these are heat-not-burn products, e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches, they all have one thing in common: their use does not involve a combustion process – as is the case with traditional tobacco products. From a logical and evidence-based[1] point of view, it is therefore highly probable that the use of these products has a significantly lower harm potential than the use of traditional tobacco products.