A coalition of 23 leading European experts in medicine, toxicology, epidemiology and addiction science has accused European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi of disseminating “false and misleading” information about the risks posed by smoke-free nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco.
In an open letter dated February 25, 2026 and addressed to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, the signatories claim Várhelyi’s repeated assertions such products carry health risks “comparable to or even bigger than smoking itself” are “scientifically untenable” and could distort upcoming European Union legislation on tobacco taxation and product regulation.
“We write to you to correct dangerous, false, and misleading statements about novel smoke-free tobacco and nicotine products made by Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi,” the letter states...
They stress that these products are not “safe” or “harmless” but beyond any reasonable doubt far less harmful than cigarettes.
Olivér Várhelyi is a lawyer by profession, but he's convinced -
Most starkly, in a December 2025 interview with Euractiv, when asked if he was convinced that alternative tobacco products are as harmful as traditional cigarettes, Várhelyi replied: “Yes, I am. Absolutely. One hundred per cent.”
Most starkly, in a December 2025 interview with Euractiv, when asked if he was convinced that alternative tobacco products are as harmful as traditional cigarettes, Várhelyi replied: “Yes, I am. Absolutely. One hundred per cent.”
But we already know about lawyers and politics.
8 comments:
Of course they are as harmful: they'd cause the same amount of pleasure and it's pleasures that Public Health is dedicated to eliminating.
Anon - yes, it's the new upper echelon privilege, pleasure is their privilege not ours and part of their pleasure is blocking ours.
Take these drugs if you like, but don't pretend they're not harmless. They may not be quite as dangerous as smoking but regularly breathing anything but air into your lungs is asking for trouble, as is sucking pouches of carcinogens.
Vatsmith - I agree, I wouldn't do it.
I wouldn't myself reckon three orders of magnitude less dangerous as "not ... quite as dangerous as smoking". I might even say they're a helluva lot less dangerous.
dearieme - three orders of magnitude eh? I've never looked into it, but no wonder the scientists are protesting.
I was working from memory. Here's more detail: "In the case of vaping, studies suggest differences in cancer risks for primary and secondhand exposure of two orders of magnitude (<1%) and five orders of magnitude, respectively, compared to smoking."
https://clivebates.substack.com/p/the-who-is-a-risk-factor-for-cancer
dearieme - thanks, that's interesting, I didn't realise the difference is that huge. I don't know anyone who smokes or vapes, I've just taken on board the general 'vaping is much safer' conclusion.
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