In a letter to President Ursula von der Leyen and Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, the organizations, including the Swedish Cancer Society, are calling for a review of the Tobacco Directive.
They want to see, among other things, increased prices, a ban on flavoring new nicotine products and a ban on all advertising, including on social media. The organizations write that the tobacco industry is "aggressively targeting young people" through social media, child-friendly flavors and appealing packaging.
The products are addictive and can lead to "serious health risks," the cancer foundations write, adding that the increase in nicotine use among young people in the Nordic countries "should serve as a stark warning for the entire EU."
In recent years, the proportion of schoolchildren who use snus has doubled.
In 2023, 14 percent of ninth-grade students and 26 percent of high school students used snus. The increase is particularly large for girls.
In both grades, daily or almost-daily snus use is more common than occasional use.
Source: Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information
