The Mental Health Imperative [Issue Brief]

This issue brief complements We Are Innovation and Path to Smoke-free’s Briefing Paper ‘The EU Case for Innovative Nicotine Products’ by exploring critical dimensions of Europe’s approach to policy reform.

For the 24 percent of Europeans who smoke, dependence is a mental health condition demanding compassionate, evidence-based intervention. Yet our tobacco policies often reflect outdated moralism rather than a modern understanding of addiction science. We would not deny a diabetic access to insulin alternatives, so why do we deny smokers access to safer nicotine products?

The Swedish model demonstrates what happens when policymakers treat nicotine dependence through a healthcare lens. By providing multiple pathways to cessation—from complete abstinence to long-term use of dramatically safer alternatives—Sweden has achieved what punitive approaches could not: sustainable behavior change that prioritizes wellbeing over ideological purity. Greece’s recent pivot from prohibition to harm reduction similarly acknowledges that supporting smokers requires meeting them where they are, not where we wish they were.

Mental health professionals understand that recovery rarely follows a straight line. The nations achieving the fastest smoking declines recognize this reality, offering a spectrum of support that includes innovative nicotine products as legitimate tools for harm reduction. When we frame tobacco policy as a healthcare issue rather than a moral judgment, we create space for pragmatic solutions that actually save lives.

We Are Innovation and Path to Smoke-free’s Briefing Paper “The EU Case for Innovative Nicotine Products” demonstrates how Sweden, Czechia, and Greece have transformed their approach to nicotine dependence by treating it as a healthcare challenge rather than a moral failing. The evidence shows that compassionate, medically-informed policies can become powerful tools for genuine recovery rather than continued stigmatization. We invite you to review how these healthcare-centered strategies have achieved unprecedented success in supporting millions of Europeans on their journey toward better health and wellbeing.

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