The European Union is reportedly working on a new set of policies aimed at further reducing tobacco consumption and its environmental impact.
According to Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung, an internal document from the European Commission outlines several upcoming proposals inspired by the World Health Organization’s tobacco control framework.
The draft includes tighter restrictions on tobacco sales, advertising bans, and even the possible elimination of cigarette filters, which have long been marketed as a safety feature but are now under fire for their ecological footprint.
Fewer tobacco outlets and end to commercial sales
Among the measures discussed are plans to drastically reduce the number of tobacco points of sale across the EU and to phase out marketing or “sales incentives” entirely.
The Commission is said to be examining a model where tobacco sales would no longer generate private profit, with revenues potentially redirected toward public health initiatives.
Such ideas reflect a broader push within the EU to move beyond traditional health warnings and address the social and economic factors that sustain smoking habits.
Possible generational tobacco ban
One of the more radical ideas under review is a “generation-based” ban, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after a certain year.
New Zealand adopted a similar approach in 2022, though the policy was later repealed under a new government.
If implemented in Europe, such a measure would represent one of the strictest anti-smoking frameworks in the world.
Environmental argument against filters
Perhaps the most symbolic — and controversial — proposal involves a ban on cigarette filters.
While filters were originally introduced to reduce the perceived harm of smoking, environmental experts have long warned that they contribute heavily to plastic pollution.
Billions of filters end up in nature every year, releasing microplastics and toxic chemicals into soil and water.
The Commission reportedly considers banning them entirely, describing them as “misleadingly marketed and environmentally harmful.”
EU seeks to balance health, industry, and sustainability
The European Commission has not yet officially confirmed the leaked document, but insiders expect formal proposals to be discussed later this year.
If adopted, the measures would mark a major step forward in the EU’s long-term plan to create a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040, aligning public health policy with broader sustainability goals under the European Green Deal.
