This is an opinion article by Considerate Pouchers. The views belong to the writer.
Europe has set the ambitious goal of a smoke-free future. Yet according to the European Commission’s Special Eurobarometer 539 (2024), 24% of EU citizens still smoke today. That marks only a 1% drop since 2020 — a pace far too slow to reach the EU’s target of under 5% smoking prevalence by 2040. At this rate, experts warn, Europe could miss its own goal by decades.
That is why Considerate Pouchers launched the EU Protect Pouches campaign - a grassroots movement of consumers.
Over recent months, we have taken Protect Pouches to the streets of cities like Stockholm, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris and Brussels engaging citizens face-to-face. From local postcard drives to community events, we asked people what they want from safer alternatives and the answers were strikingly consistent:
- Nicotine pouches are the lowest-risk alternative to smoking. They contain no tobacco leaf, no combustion, and deliver nicotine without smoke.
- They are the most considerate option. No second-hand smoke, no smell, no disturbance to bystanders.
- They are more environmentally friendly. With cigarette butts still the world’s most littered plastic waste, pouches offer a cleaner alternative.
And perhaps most importantly: they change lives. Women in particular told us that pouches gave them a discreet, stigma-free way to quit smoking - helping them balance health, family, and work without the social burdens that often accompany cigarettes.
Recent research backs up these voices. The EU’s Smoke-Free Future and the Role of Innovation briefing paper by We Are Innovation (2024) shows that innovative nicotine products act as an “off-ramp” for smokers, not an “on-ramp” for non-smokers. The same paper highlights Sweden as a success story: with broader acceptance of smoke-free alternatives, it now has one of the lowest smoking rates in Europe. By contrast, Member States that restrict alternatives see slower declines in smoking.
The lesson for policymakers is clear: regulation matters. Well-designed rules can accelerate the switch to safer alternatives; restrictive policies risk slowing progress and trapping millions in smoking.
The Protect Pouches campaign is not about abstract debate - it is about real people across Europe making real changes in their lives. Their voices deserve to be heard. If Brussels is serious about reducing smoking, protecting public health, and empowering citizens, then it must ensure that safer options like nicotine pouches remain available.
Protecting pouches means protecting people - and protecting Europe’s smoke-free future.
