Greece is once again at a crossroads in its approach to tobacco control. Despite recent progress, the government is now considering a ban on vaping flavours - a move that threatens to undermine the country’s hard-won gains in reducing smoking rates and improving public health.
Greece has long held one of the highest smoking rates in the European Union. According to Eurostat, the smoking rate in Greece rose from 38% in 2015 to 41% in 2021, while in many other EU countries, smoking rates were falling. This stands in stark contrast to Sweden, where smoking rates have plummeted and it is now on the verge of becoming smoke-free.
However, there is a silver lining. Since 2019, when Greece officially adopted harm reduction as a core pillar of its tobacco control policy, the country has managed to reverse the previously growing trend of smoking. The smoking rate has now dropped to 36%. This is a notable achievement compared to the stagnation or even backsliding seen elsewhere in the EU.
Despite this progress, Greece is now considering a ban on vaping flavours. This is a deeply misguided move. Flavours are one of the most appealing aspects of less harmful alternatives to smoking, and they are proven to help smokers make the switch and stay away from cigarettes.
One of the most common arguments for a flavour ban is the so-called “gateway” effect - that vaping and similar products lead young people to start smoking. However, the data in Greece simply does not support this claim. 98% of all nicotine consumers in Greece started with cigarettes. Only 1% started with vaping, pouches, or heated tobacco. Policymakers are targeting the wrong product.
A flavour ban would be a huge step backwards for public health and harm reduction
A flavour ban would be a huge step backwards for public health and harm reduction. By supporting such a ban, policymakers would push adults back to smoking or into the black market, endangering lives and ignoring scientific evidence. Research consistently shows that flavours play a crucial role in helping smokers quit. Banning them ignores both the evidence and the clear will of the people, punishing hundreds of thousands of adult ex-smokers who have managed to quit smoking thanks to flavours.
Greece is not alone in considering such a ban. Seven EU countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Slovenia) have already passed laws prohibiting vape flavours. Spain and Belgium are also considering similar measures.
The results have been disastrous. In Denmark, for example, a survey by the Tholos Foundation found that 93% of vapers say it is easy to find banned flavours, fuelling a thriving black market and undermining law enforcement. In Quebec, 36% of initial vapers returned to smoking just six months after a flavour ban.
The EU’s overall approach to tobacco harm reduction is also failing. The EU aims for a 5% smoking rate by 2040, but the current trend is that the rate will only fall below 5% by the year 2100 - a full 60 years past the goal, again based on Eurostat. Meanwhile, Sweden’s embrace of harm reduction delivers real results, with the country on the brink of becoming smoke-free.
Scientific evidence is clear: flavours increase the chance of quitting smoking by 230%. Only 2.1% of vapers report tobacco as their exclusive flavour, while the rest consume different flavours.
Policymakers must follow the evidence and listen to consumers. 100,000 people have signed the World Vapers’ Alliance’s petition against a flavour ban, and the EU Commission’s 2023 consultation showed that a majority supports harm reduction products, including flavours.
If Greece is serious about reducing smoking rates and protecting public health, it must continue to support harm reduction, not undermine it with misguided bans. The evidence is clear: flavours help smokers quit, and banning them will do far more harm than good.
Michael Landl is the director of the World Vapers’ Alliance. He is an experienced policy professional and a passionate vaper. He studied at the University of St. Gallen and worked for several public policy outlets and the German Parliament. You can contact him via michael.landl@worldvapersalliance.com or find out more at www.worldvapersalliance.com
Nikolas Christofidis is the Managing Director of the Greek Vapers’ Alliance, the official community of Greek vapers. Nikolas aims to promote responsible vaping and support freedom of choice, uniting Greek vapers to build a healthier future. You can contact him via nick@greekvapersalliance.gr or find out more at www.greekvapersalliance.gr
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