CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Public support for banning flavoured e-cigarettes in the European Union: A repeated cross-sectional study using Eurobarometer data from 2017 and 2023
1
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
2
Secretariat of Public Health, Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
3
Tobacco Control Unit, Cancer Control and Prevention Program, WHO Collaborating Center on Tobacco Control, Institut Català d’Oncologia, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
4
CIBER en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
5
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2026;12(Supplement 1):A10
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND-AIM:
E-cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity across the European Union (EU), particularly among youth. Sweet flavours enhance their appeal and reduce the perceived harm associated with their use. Flavour bans have emerged as a central policy tool to protect children and young people from the harms of e-cigarettes by reducing their attractiveness to new users. Understanding public support for banning flavoured e-cigarettes is key to informing advocacy efforts related to this policy. This study assessed trends in support for a flavour ban and identified determinants of support across the EU between 2017 and 2023.
METHODS:
A repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Special Eurobarometer surveys in 2017 and 2023 (n=25,439; n=25,356). Two-level mixed-effects Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (A(;)aPRs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs), accounting for individuals nested within countries. Individual-level variables included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, education, income, living area) and smoking and e-cigarette status. Country-level variables included tobacco control policy implementation (measured using the Tobacco Control Scale [TCS]) and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
RESULTS:
Overall, support increased modestly from 40.4% (95% CI: 39.3%–41.3%) in 2017 to 49.3% (95% CI: 48.6%–50.0%) in 2023 (aPR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.00–1.12). Country differences in support widened over time, with the estimated between-country variance increasing from 0.15 (95% CI: 0.09–0.26) in 2017 to 0.19 (95% CI: 0.11–0.33) in 2023. Current (aPR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.37–0.50) and former e-cigarette users (aPR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.75–0.83), as well as current (aPR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.67–0.72) and former smokers (aPR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.90–0.96) were less supportive than never users. Support was higher among women (aPR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.08) and adults aged ≥55 years (aPR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.03–1.11), and lower among those aged 15–24 years (aPR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.82–0.96). Higher TCS scores were associated with greater support (aPR=1.09 per 10-point increase, 95% CI: 1.04–1.14), whereas GDP per capita showed no statistically significant association.
CONCLUSIONS:
Public support for banning flavoured e-cigarettes is increasing across the EU, signalling readiness for stronger regulatory action. However, lower support among younger adults and e-cigarette or tobacco users highlights persistent resistance among those most engaged in use, underscoring the need for targeted communication and youth-focused
E-cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity across the European Union (EU), particularly among youth. Sweet flavours enhance their appeal and reduce the perceived harm associated with their use. Flavour bans have emerged as a central policy tool to protect children and young people from the harms of e-cigarettes by reducing their attractiveness to new users. Understanding public support for banning flavoured e-cigarettes is key to informing advocacy efforts related to this policy. This study assessed trends in support for a flavour ban and identified determinants of support across the EU between 2017 and 2023.
METHODS:
A repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Special Eurobarometer surveys in 2017 and 2023 (n=25,439; n=25,356). Two-level mixed-effects Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (A(;)aPRs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs), accounting for individuals nested within countries. Individual-level variables included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, education, income, living area) and smoking and e-cigarette status. Country-level variables included tobacco control policy implementation (measured using the Tobacco Control Scale [TCS]) and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
RESULTS:
Overall, support increased modestly from 40.4% (95% CI: 39.3%–41.3%) in 2017 to 49.3% (95% CI: 48.6%–50.0%) in 2023 (aPR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.00–1.12). Country differences in support widened over time, with the estimated between-country variance increasing from 0.15 (95% CI: 0.09–0.26) in 2017 to 0.19 (95% CI: 0.11–0.33) in 2023. Current (aPR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.37–0.50) and former e-cigarette users (aPR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.75–0.83), as well as current (aPR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.67–0.72) and former smokers (aPR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.90–0.96) were less supportive than never users. Support was higher among women (aPR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.08) and adults aged ≥55 years (aPR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.03–1.11), and lower among those aged 15–24 years (aPR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.82–0.96). Higher TCS scores were associated with greater support (aPR=1.09 per 10-point increase, 95% CI: 1.04–1.14), whereas GDP per capita showed no statistically significant association.
CONCLUSIONS:
Public support for banning flavoured e-cigarettes is increasing across the EU, signalling readiness for stronger regulatory action. However, lower support among younger adults and e-cigarette or tobacco users highlights persistent resistance among those most engaged in use, underscoring the need for targeted communication and youth-focused
| eISSN: | 2459-3087 |
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