Risk reduction. E-cigarettes in Europe: the first results of Eurispes research
Risk reduction. E-cigarettes in Europe: the first results of Eurispes research
In line with its commitment to fight smoking-related diseases, Eurispes has been studying the role of new tools that overcome combustion – which is the leading cause of such diseases – for years.
Eurispes has conducted several studies focusing on risk reduction among adult smokers switching from ‘traditional’ to heat-not-burn products and has consequently highlighted the possibility that health authorities in Italy seriously look at the potential role of non-combusted products in a public health strategy perspective, as it is already the case in many countries.
However, this is not happening, in line with the substantial reject that persists towards the new tools, as shown by the preliminary documents for the forthcoming COP 9 (Conference of the Parties) on tobacco in November, where tobacco products and new products are considered as equally dangerous.
In contrast, many independent international clinical studies unquestionably attest to the reduced risk of the new instruments of over 90%.
Market data indicates that the electronic cigarette consumer segment is consolidating, thanks to the benefits that many people experience on their physical condition by switching from burnt tobacco cigarettes to the new heat-not-burn ones.
The non-combusted products market is therefore growing. Still, the tobacco products regulation that applies to them restricts their potential to inform adult smokers about the benefit of a reduced risk consumption or the use of e-cigarettes as a step towards smoking cessation. In addition, Italy is also implementing a significant increase in excise duties, bringing them progressively into line with tobacco products. In addition, Italy is also implementing substantial increases in excise duties, bringing them progressively into line with tobacco products. As a result, this limits the prospects for development for this attractive market and penalises many small and medium-sized enterprises that have emerged in the electronic cigarettes industry over the last decade.
In this scenario, Eurispes has started a research on e-cigarettes in the EU countries, with particular reference to the employment aspects of the supply chain of the production and the sale of liquids. By anticipating some results about Italy, it is possible to draw a particularly relevant picture.
Unfortunately, in the background, the “numbers” that accompany traditional tobacco consumption are stable. In our Country, the decline in smoking seen at the turn of 2010 has come to a halt, and today 11.5 million citizens in Italy consume tobacco: 23% of the adult population. Annual deaths from smoking-related diseases are estimated at 80 000 to 90 000, and the health care costs amount to approximately 9 billion per year.
On the other hand, the number of e-cigarette users is growing, to around 1,300,000 in 2020, representing 11.3% of the traditional smoking population. The figures also indicate for 2021 that the ratio is on the rise, putting Italy in an intermediate position compared to other European countries. The percentage is around 30% in France, while Great Britain and Ireland are close to 50%.
The value of the Italian e-cigarette market exceeded 480 million euros in 2020, a figure that is already significant in itself, but with solid growth prospects considering that in neighbouring France, it exceeds 950 million.
Eurispes has calculated that the e-cigarette supply chain in Italy directly employs about 13,700 workers in liquids production, their distribution and retail sales. Additionally, there are the induced activities related to the growing business volume of the industry. Many people are employed in the retail sector: in the Country, 2,200 shops specialise in the exclusive sale of electronic cigarette products, which can also be purchased in most of the 54,000 traditional tobacco shops and many pharmacies. In addition, many people are employed in production companies, liquid import-export companies, portals, and online sales sites.
The companies involved in the production chain are almost a hundred. Most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises created ad hoc or previously operating in the food industry and have specialised in producing liquids based on natural products, often with success in the foreign market.
From a risk reduction perspective, the decline in traditional tobacco consumption related to the increasing use of the new tools appears to be one of the few viable paths.
Policies and guidelines exclusively focusing on smoking cessation, offering underperforming anti-smoking centres as the only support while denying the potential value of other “low-risk” tools like e-cigarettes, have not produced the desired results. Less than 10,000 annual visits to anti-smoking centres compared to 11.5 million smokers represent a few drops in a sea of consumers who – as recorded in the Eurispes sample surveys – deny the possibility of any smoking cessation by 78.7%. Precisely, 30.5% of smokers declare they should quit but do not want to, 26.3% say they should but believe they will not succeed, and 21.9% have no intention of quitting cigarettes.
Finally, 74.1% of smokers claim they would like to be informed about scientifically proven, less harmful products other than traditional cigarettes, which is a significant fact requiring further attention.
