Joint call for tobacco ban collides with EU

Several nationwide newspapers were transformed on Wednesday into shouting banner bearers for a tobacco- and nicotine-free Denmark.

Together with eight other larger organizations, the Danish Cancer Society did not make a cautious appeal.

They were clear in their joint appeal to the politicians at Christiansborg.

– The time has come for us to take an ambitious and bold step towards a future completely without tobacco and nicotine, was the message in the full-page advertisements.

More concretely, according to the organizations, tobacco and nicotine products should not be sold in Denmark from 2035.

But already from the morning – before the ambition really had a chance to take hold – it was shot down by Health Minister Sophie Løhde (V).

A total ban cannot be achieved within the framework of the current tobacco products directive in EU, the minister wrote in an email to DR.

The minister has emphasized the same several times before. For example, in April in a response to the Health Committee of the Folketing.

Here, Sophie Løhde added that Denmark should work for individual member states in EU to be able to go further in the area than the directive prescribes.

Jesper Fisker, CEO of the Danish Cancer Society, says that it is a “crucial opportunity” that the directive is set to be revised.

He believes that it is “unclear” whether a total ban can be achieved within the current framework.

– Denmark should insist that member states have the right to phase out tobacco and nicotine, he says in a written comment to Ritzau.

Also, Charlotta Pisinger, a professor in tobacco prevention, emphasizes the revision.

– There are many countries that are fighting for the directive not to become a straitjacket for those countries that wish to be more ambitious, she says.

According to Jesper Fisker, countries like the Netherlands and Belgium show part of the way by working to limit availability. It is allowed.

Overall, it is a “battle between public health and the interests of the industry,” the researcher points out.

– If one politically said that they would like to support a total ban, they could go in and influence the process, she says and adds:

– On the other side stands the tobacco industry, which fights for the directive to be as tight a straitjacket as possible.

It is also convenient that Denmark currently holds the EU presidency, as “one could use some opportunities to bring it up,” it is stated.

Charlotta Pisinger does not know of any deadline for when the revision should be completed.

She mentions that it is “often” a process that gets dragged out.

– The last tobacco products directive was postponed and postponed for a long time, she says.

Although Denmark cannot directly write “stop the sale of tobacco” into legislation, one can use other tools within the current framework.

According to Charlotta Pisinger, the strongest measure is to raise the price.

– The price has increased a bit here at home, but it is still low compared to Norway or Finland, she says.

One can also reduce the number of sales points or raise the age limit to 25 years.

– The brain has matured, and at that point, almost no one starts smoking or using nicotine products, says the researcher.

As part of “Cancer Plan V,” the government has taken the first step towards fewer sales points with tobacco and nicotine, which can currently be purchased in 7,000 physical stores.

An analysis that will form the basis for the political decision on how the number of retailers can be reduced is expected to be completed in August 2026.

Each year, nearly 16,000 citizens die as a result of smoking, which corresponds to almost one in three deaths in Denmark.