A growing debate is unfolding across Europe over how to regulate nicotine and tobacco products, with Spanish economist and former Secretary-General of the Socialist Workers’ Party, Tomás Gómez, calling for a shift toward science-driven policies. In an op-ed published in LA RAZÓN, Gómez criticized Spain’s current regulatory approach, arguing that it relies more on ideology than empirical evidence, particularly in its blanket restrictions on all nicotine products without distinguishing between traditional tobacco and less harmful alternatives.
Gómez highlighted that while countries like Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Japan have adopted harm reduction strategies supported by scientific research, Spain and several other EU members continue to enforce rigid prohibitionist models. These outdated frameworks, he warned, risk driving consumers toward illicit markets and undermining public health objectives.
He pointed to data showing that legal tobacco consumption in Spain rose to 1.4 billion units in 2024—an increase of 52 million from the previous year—resulting in a tax revenue shortfall exceeding 263 million euros. This trend, he argued, reflects the failure of punitive measures alone to curb usage, especially when safer alternatives are restricted.
Citing EU reports, Gómez noted that France, which imposed steep taxes on all smoking products without differentiating between conventional cigarettes and reduced-risk options, saw illegal cigarette trade surge to 18.7 billion units in 2024, including 7.8 billion counterfeit units. Similarly, smuggling in the Netherlands increased by 14% within a single year.
The economist stressed that overly restrictive policies not grounded in cost-benefit analysis can be as damaging as complete permissiveness, fostering gray markets that perpetuate the very problems they aim to solve. He emphasized that numerous peer-reviewed studies confirm smoke-free nicotine products reduce health risks by 70% to 90% compared to traditional smoking, primarily by eliminating combustion—the main source of toxic chemicals.
These alternatives, he added, not only benefit individual users but also reduce secondhand exposure, making them a viable public health tool. Treating them with the same severity as combustible tobacco, he argued, undermines regulatory logic and scientific integrity.
Gómez advocated for a dual-path strategy: strict prevention measures to block minors’ access to nicotine, including tight marketing controls and public education, alongside a science-based regulatory framework for adults that enables access to lower-risk alternatives. Such a model, he said, would encourage innovation, support responsible development, and steer consumers away from black markets.
International examples support this approach. In Sweden, where regulated nicotine substitutes like snus are widely available, smoking rates have dropped below 5%, the lowest in Europe. This demonstrates that evidence-based harm reduction can save lives more effectively than punitive policies alone.
Spain, Gómez concluded, stands at a crossroads: it can either persist with prohibitionist policies that fuel illegal trade or embrace a modern, data-driven model that prioritizes health outcomes over ideological rigidity. A balanced, innovative approach, he argued, protects youth, supports adult smokers seeking change, and sustains a multi-billion-euro industry within legal and transparent boundaries.
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Spanish economist calls for rethinking tobacco policies in Europe
In recent decades, the world has seen major changes in public health policies, with legislation evolving to protect citizens from various diseases through a wide range of measures, including restrictions on high-sugar and high-fat foods.
However, this remarkable progress has not extended equally to smoking and related diseases. Policies on tobacco and nicotine products have remained largely unchanged, with relative stagnation in regulatory innovation compared to other areas, leaving it one of the most complex and sensitive issues, where prohibition still prevails over science.
Variation in European policies on nicotine alternatives
While many countries have adopted innovative harm reduction approaches—such as Sweden, the UK, and Japan, which have aligned their policies with scientific developments—countries like Spain, France, and several EU members still regulate nicotine products under the same comprehensive prohibition mindset established decades ago, despite the emergence of innovative alternatives proven scientifically to be less harmful than traditional products and capable of reducing risks.
Between protecting youth and enabling adult smokers to access safer alternatives, prohibitionist governments face a difficult equation—and the solution is simpler than it seems: not slogans, but smart, evidence-based, innovative legislation.
Criticism of Spain’s tobacco policies
On this issue, politician, economist, and former Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, Tomás Gómez, criticized in an article for LA RAZÓN Spain’s tendency toward regulation without objective assessment balancing the utility of decisions and their actual impacts. This sparked broad debate on the future of tobacco and nicotine product regulation.
Gómez explained that existing policies, based on continuously raising taxes and tightening restrictions on nicotine and tobacco products without distinction, stem more from ideological grounds than scientific ones.
He warned that excessive prohibition leads to counterproductive outcomes, as seen historically in the 1980s when strict laws on tobacco in Galicia led criminal networks to shift into illicit trade, as penalties remained the same while profits multiplied.
The economic dimension of the tobacco industry
The tobacco industry is one of Spain’s oldest, dating back to 1880, and today accounts for 21.4% of the manufacturing sector and 2.6% of GDP. According to Gómez, ignoring the economic and social dimensions under a blanket prohibition policy could lead to disastrous outcomes, despite the undeniable duty to protect public health.
He noted that legal tobacco consumption in Spain rose in 2024 to 1.4 billion units, an increase of 52 million from the previous year, causing financial losses exceeding 263 million euros in tax revenues.
EU reports also indicate that France, which imposed harsh taxes on smoking products without distinguishing between traditional and alternative ones, saw illegal cigarette trade rise to 18.7 billion units in 2024, including 7.8 billion counterfeit cigarettes, while smuggling in the Netherlands doubled by 14% in just one year.
Gómez emphasized that comprehensive prohibitionist policies not based on cost-benefit analysis are no less dangerous than complete leniency, as they create a gray economy that pushes the problem underground instead of solving it.
Scientific evidence on nicotine alternatives
Numerous studies published in reputable scientific journals confirm that smoke-free nicotine products reduce health risks by 70%–90% compared to traditional smoking, as they eliminate combustion entirely, thereby reducing exposure to many toxic and harmful substances produced by burning, in addition to containing far fewer chemicals.
Gómez pointed out that these products reduce risks not only for users but also limit negative effects on those around them, stressing that regulating these alternatives with the same severity as traditional cigarettes strips legislation of its scientific and logical foundation.
Dual-path approach for public health protection
To correct course, successful policy-making in this field requires a dual-path approach:
Strict prevention: Prevent minors from accessing any nicotine products, with strong marketing and sales oversight and comprehensive public awareness.
Scientific regulation for adults: Enable adult smokers to access less risky alternatives within a transparent regulatory framework that encourages research, development, and responsible innovation, rather than pushing consumers into black markets.
This balance not only protects public health but also fosters a culture of responsible citizenship and informed choice, while maintaining economic competitiveness in a sector worth billions of euros annually.
Lessons from international experiences
International experiences—from Sweden to Japan—show that investing in harm reduction is not a concession on public health but an evolution of its concept. In Sweden, where alternative nicotine products are available under precise regulations, smoking rates have dropped below 5%, the lowest in Europe, proving that evidence-based, regulated innovation can save more lives than punitive policies alone.
Spain at a crossroads
Spain today stands at a crossroads: either continue with a comprehensive prohibition policy that fuels the illegal market, or open up to a new approach that encourages research, innovation, and decision-making based on evidence rather than ideology.
Gómez emphasized that applying a uniform approach to diverse issues is illogical. Harm reduction is a smart strategy that enables youth protection, helps smokers transition to less harmful alternatives, and gives society the chance to breathe in a smoke-free and ideologically unbiased environment.