Contents
Executive summary
- Earlier this year we surveyed members of the European Parliament (MEPs) about their knowledge of, and views on, novel nicotine products.
- More MEPs in this Parliament have at least some knowledge of novel nicotine products than in the previous one.
- MEPs who have some knowledge of these products tend to consider them less risky than smoking.
- By contrast, MEPs without knowledge of the products are significantly less likely to believe this.
- MEPs’ views on novel nicotine products and smoking cessation are very mixed.
- Many do believe that novel products can help smokers quit.
- But an increasing number of MEPs are concerned that novel products, especially nicotine pouches, will lead to smoking.
- Many more MEPs than previously believe that novel nicotine products should be taxed less than traditional tobacco.
Survey overview
In early 2025 we conducted our fourth survey of members of the European Parliament (MEPs), seeking to understand how much MEPs know about new nicotine products, and what views they hold on these products and their regulation.
The survey was sent to all MEPs (covering all European Union member states and political parties); responses were online and anonymous.
Responses were received from 32 MEPs, representing more than 4% of the current European Parliament.
This was an especially important instalment in our series of MEP surveys because a new European Parliament was formed in 2024, and around 50% of MEPs were new.
Previous surveys were conducted in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
MEP knowledge and risk perceptions
While over 70% of MEPs have some knowledge, nearly three in ten remain completely unaware of new nicotine products, despite this improving compared to previous years.
MEPs are consistently more aware of vapour and heated tobacco (>80% respondents) than nicotine pouch (<70% respondents). For both vapour and heated tobacco, more than half of respondents say they have “some” or “deep” knowledge – more than mere awareness. However, for all types of products, those with “deep” knowledge remain a small minority.
Differences in subjective definitions of “some” and “deep” may account for much of the fluctuation in this data over time.
While only 7% of MEPs are unsure of the risks in 2025, much lower than in the preceding years, those who consider new nicotine products at least as or more harmful than smoking have increased from 19% to 33%. This decline in “don’t know”s and corresponding increase in the “more harmful” and “less harmful” groups could be interpreted as a sign of increasing division into pro- and anti- camps.
Two-thirds of MEPs with knowledge believe new nicotine products are less harmful than smoking, but the proportion who believe this has been declining over the years.
The most startling change in this part of the data, however, is a hardening of views among those MEPs with no knowledge of novel products. Many fewer than in previous years say they don’t know about harmfulness; despite their lack of knowledge about the products, a large majority have now committed to either the “less harmful” or “equally/more harmful” groups.
Again, this data suggests that MEPs are more polarised in their views on risk compared to previous years; more than half believe at least one product category is the same or more harmful than smoking, and very few are unsure.
Traditional cigarettes remain far riskier than any novel products, according to eight out of ten MEPs. Among novel products themselves, heated tobacco continues to be the category attracting most concern about risk.
On this subject, nicotine pouches continue to improve their position while vapour continue to decline. Pouches are now seen as the least risky product category for more than half of MEPs; it will be interesting to see if this continues, given a growing amount of negative media coverage and public discourse about pouches.
Risk perception is strongly related to knowledge of the products; MEPs with no knowledge have increased negative risk perceptions, particularly for vapour and nicotine pouches.
Nearly half of MEPs disagree that nicotine is as harmful as tobacco – a big increase compared to previous years. This will be seen as good news by advocates of reduced-risk products, who have been concerned in recent years about the exaggeration of risks inherent in nicotine itself.
MEP views on smoking cessation and initiation
The question of whether novel products offer a way for smokers to stop smoking (the “off-ramp”), or encourage non-smokers towards smoking (the “on-ramp”), or indeed both simultaneously, is a fundamental one in the debate about their public-health role and how they should be regulated.
Overall, about half of MEPs still believe that all three main categories of novel product will help smokers quit, although the numbers who believe this have been declining slightly. And at the same time, the numbers who see novel products as an “on-ramp” – ultimately leading people to smoke – have been increasing. This is especially noticeable where nicotine pouches are concerned.
When it comes to forming opinions about potential regulation, views on this issue may be as important as attitudes on relative risk.
Broadly speaking, our MEP surveys have consistently suggested that greater knowledge of novel products correlates with more positive views toward them. And here, indeed, the data shows that fewer than half of MEPs with no knowledge of new nicotine products think they can offer a way out of smoking, although this does not mean that the others definitely believe in an on-ramp – a large proportion are simply unsure.
A striking anomaly can be seen with vapour, however. MEPs who do have knowledge of e-cigarettes are evenly split on whether vaping is more likely to aid smoking cessation or lead to initiation. Those in the latter group, who we could call “knowledgeable vape sceptics”, have not appeared in such large numbers in the surveys before and don’t have as many counterparts in the other categories.
Will new nicotine products create a new generation of smokers? This is a blunter way of approaching a key issue than the on-ramp vs off-ramp dichotomy, and MEPs’ views are clear. Just over half agree (a proportion that has hardly changed in the last three surveys), while nearly a third disagree. Very few are neutral or say they don’t know.
MEP views on regulation and tax
More than twice as many MEPs as in previous years (46%) believe new nicotine products should be taxed less than traditional tobacco – potentially an important trend given that a new EU Tobacco Taxation Directive is currently in development. The Parliament will not vote directly on this, but MEPs’ views may indicate wider attitudes among the countries they represent.
A majority continue to believe online sales should be allowed.
Nearly half want flavours to be less regulated for novel products than for traditional tobacco, although this may simply mean they support the status quo at EU level – flavours banned in traditional tobacco and heated tobacco, but permitted in e-cigarettes and pouches. And it is worth noting that support for heavier regulation of flavours has increased too.
MEPs increasingly believe vape products should be regulated in the same way as traditional tobacco, although there is still a very large minority which supports a lighter regulatory touch on flavours.
As with vapour, there is quite strong support for online sales of heated tobacco, along with an acceptance that conventional tobacco advertising rules should apply. There is increased support for relaxing the rules on heated tobacco flavours (now banned across the EU), although any action in that direction seems very unlikely.
The possibility of tighter regulation on pouch flavours is likely to come under debate at EU level, and our data shows that currently MEPs are evenly split on the issue – 40% wanting gentler regulation than for traditional tobacco products, 40% wanting the same or tighter, and the remainder undecided.
It is also worth noting the MEPs’ views on the online sale of pouches. Although only a minority are actively opposed to online sales of pouches, positive support is not as strong as it is for online sale of vapes and heated tobacco.
Overall, a small majority of MEPs think that novel nicotine products without tobacco (i.e. vapes and nicotine pouches) should be regulated in the same way as traditional tobacco products – the highest proportion since our surveys began.
A quarter of MEPs disagree. But even if all the currently “neutral” and “don’t know” respondents decided to support lighter regulation of nicotine-free novel products, they would still fall short of a majority.
– TobaccoIntelligence staff
Cover image: AI-generated
