Snus rouses Parliament passions

MEPs are set to increase pressure on the European Commission to consider legalising a smokeless tobacco product known as snus.

Parliament will next Tuesday (23 October) discuss the issue before voting through a report on the Commission’s green paper ‘Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level’. A consultation on the green paper ended this May and the Commission is now deciding on further action.

Snus supporters say that the moist oral snuff can be used as a smoking cessation aid, to wean people off cigarettes. They also say that snus can reduce the number of annual deaths from cancer, because it does not cause lung cancer and poses no passive smoking risk.

The centre-right EPP-ED group in Parliament this week proposed an amendment calling for more research into snus. Christofer Fjellner of the EPP-ED said that he would support the legalisation of snus, which is currently banned in all EU member states except Sweden, but that research was a good first step. "I know snus and the health evidence is so clear," he said, "once people start to do research they will agree with me."

Liz Lynne of the liberal ALDE party said that she also believed that more research was needed. "I have always been very anti-tobacco," said Lynne. "But I realise a lot of people simply cannot give up smoking and perhaps snus could be an alternative form of harm reduction."

But the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union and several members of the British Medical Association say that legalising snus would confuse consumers and could lead to an increase in tobacco use.

The World Health Organization last year said that snus could cause oral, pancreatic and neck cancers, as well as dental problems and addiction.

Irish centre-right MEP Avril Doyle said that it was wrong to think of snus as a safer alternative to cigarettes. "Snus has serious but different health effects to passive smoking and there is no justification in encouraging its promotion," she said.

An official from the Commission’s health department said that the Commission was waiting for a final opinion from its Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks before making any decision on snus.

MEPs are set to increase pressure on the European Commission to consider legalising a smokeless tobacco product known as snus.