Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

28.6.2021

The Commission bases its policies on evidence and is informed by independent scientific opinions, consisting of comprehensive scientific reviews in several relevant fields, including epidemiologic studies, experimental studies in humans, experimental studies in animals, and cell culture studies, which take into consideration the overall weight of evidence.

In 2008, the opinion of the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), confirmed the negative health effects of all smokeless tobacco products. The opinion recognised that while all smokeless tobacco products can cause localised oral lesions and a high risk for development of oral cancer has been shown for various smokeless tobacco products, the evidence for oral cancer in users of Swedish moist snuff (snus) is less clear[1]. According to the opinion, all smokeless tobacco products contain carcinogenic substances, albeit at different levels and that these are associated with a number of adverse health effects. Overall, it concluded that smokeless tobacco can cause cancer, increases the risk of death after myocardial infarction and is addictive.

• [1] https://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_risk/committees/04_scenihr/docs/scenihr_o_013.pdf