EU health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is heavily criticised after claiming that smokeless nicotine products are as harmful as cigarettes. The statement is questioned by scientists and provokes strong reactions, including in Sweden.
EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi has found himself in the spotlight after a high-profile statement in the newspaper Euractiv. In it, he claims that smokeless nicotine products - such as nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes - are ”at least as harmful to health as cigarettes”. The statement has been strongly criticised, not least in Sweden.
- "A health politician who openly harbours and uncritically spreads such ideas is a direct threat to public health. He should be held accountable under oath before Parliament for this," says Bengt Wiberg, a snus manufacturer and debater on harm reduction issues in the nicotine market.
Want to tax smoke-free products like cigarettes
The debate on smoke-free nicotine products continues in the EU. For 2026, Olivér Várhelyi, via the interview in Euractiv, In addition to proposals for taxes on fast food and regulatory relief for pharmaceutical companies, he wants to crack down on smoke-free nicotine products.
According to Mr Várhelyi, e-cigarettes, snus and nicotine pouches are ”at least as harmful” to health as traditional smoking.
- Absolutely. 100 per cent. They are just as harmful. They should be taxed just like cigarettes," he tells Euractiv.
Referring to WHO - despite disputed interpretation
In this context, Várhelyi refers to statements by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which, according to him, equates smokeless nicotine use with smoking. Vejpkollen has previously reported on how the WHO's stance on the issue has been interpreted and questioned.
- The WHO has found that nicotine-containing products, in particular e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, release substances known to cause cancer and expose users to carcinogens. For this reason, these products are associated with an increased risk of cancer," said Olivér Várhelyi in response to a parliamentary question in the autumn.
Researchers: no evidence for the claims
The statements have attracted attention, not least among scientists. Critics argue that there is currently no scientific evidence that e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches cause cancer, or that smokeless nicotine is equivalent to smoking cigarettes.
Recently, a report by a group of doctors considered to be close to Várhelyi, who have repeatedly pressed the European Commission on the nicotine issue, was heavily criticised for exaggerating and misinterpreting the scientific evidence. The group was also criticised for effectively representing pharmaceutical companies whose smoking cessation products have faced increased competition from e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
Past controversies around nicotine statements
This is not the first time Olivér Várhelyi has expressed controversial views on nicotine. Just last autumn, he wrote on the X platform that there is ”clear evidence” that nicotine causes cancer and contributes to cardiovascular disease - something that has not been scientifically established. After criticism from doctors and scientists, he changed the post and toned down the wording.
”A direct threat to public health”
Bengt Wiberg, developing the nicotine pouch StingFree with gum protection, believes that Mr Várhelyi has repeatedly abused his role as Health Commissioner. Not least by spreading misleading information about products that many people use to quit smoking.
- This man is more dangerous than the plague. There are no studies showing that anyone has died from snus, nicotine pouches or e-cigarettes. A health politician who openly harbours and uncritically promotes such ideas is a direct threat to public health. He should be held accountable under oath before Parliament for this," Bengt Wiberg told Vejpkollen.
EU proposal expected in 2026
The European Commission is expected to make proposals for new rules for nicotine products in 2026. At the same time, negotiations are ongoing between member states on common minimum taxes on nicotine products. The proposals could mean higher taxes for Swedish snus users and for e-cigarette users who use nicotine-free e-liquid to mix their own e-juice - as the European Commission has also proposed taxing nicotine-free e-liquid.
