The Joint Action on Smoke and Aerosol Free Environments (JA-SAFE) has officially started. The initiative, funded by the European Commission under the EU4Health Programme, involves 60 institutional and scientific partners from 23 European countries.

The Joint Action aims to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, by addressing major risk factors associated with tobacco and nicotine use.

Cigarette smoking and the use of other tobacco products remain the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death worldwide, and the main cause of premature mortality in the European Union.

At the same time, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that electronic cigarettes do not represent an effective alternative to conventional cigarettes. On the contrary, their increasing popularity may undermine efforts to reduce tobacco consumption and prevent tobacco-related diseases.

In this context, JA-SAFE aims to significantly reduce tobacco and nicotine consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols, contributing to the European objective of achieving a “tobacco-free generation”.

The project will run for four years (October 2025 – September 2029) and is structured into nine work packages organised across five thematic areas:

• smoke- and aerosol-free environments
• smoking cessation
• pathways towards a tobacco-free generation
• alcohol prevention
• strengthening health promotion and disease prevention practices in Europe

🔗 More information: https://www.jasafe.org/

The role of the Mario Negri Institute in the JA-SAFE Joint Action

The Lifestyle Research Unit at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research participates in the project as coordinator of Work Package 9 (WP9), which focuses on strengthening disease prevention strategies and health promotion interventions across Europe.

The overall objective of WP9 is to support European tobacco control policies, improve the monitoring of cancer-related risk factors, and foster the integration of prevention strategies across EU Member States.

The work package focuses on three main priorities:

• supporting tobacco control initiatives in EU Member States
• strengthening the surveillance of cancer risk factors and their health impact
• promoting the integration of health promotion and disease prevention in European community and territorial settings

Coordinating WP9 further consolidates the role of the Lifestyle Research Unit as a European reference centre for epidemiological research and the generation of scientific evidence supporting tobacco control policies.

Task 9.3: scientific evidence to inform policies on tobacco and emerging nicotine products

Within WP9, the Mario Negri Institute is also Task Leader of Task 9.3, which aims to support policy decisions across EU Member States regarding tobacco control and the regulation of emerging nicotine products.

The landscape of nicotine consumption is rapidly evolving, with an increasing spread of products marketed as alternatives to conventional cigarettes, including:

• electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)
• heated tobacco products
• nicotine pouches

These products are often promoted as reduced-risk alternatives. However, independent scientific evidence indicates that the potential harm reduction is limited, and that dual or multiple use of nicotine products may lead to additional health risks, not only compared with non-users but also compared with exclusive cigarette smokers.

Furthermore, evidence on long-term health effects and cancer risk, particularly for heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, remains limited and incomplete.

Strengthening the scientific evidence base for tobacco control in Europe

Task 9.3 aims to expand the scientific evidence base supporting European tobacco and nicotine control policies, assessing the impact and relevance of innovative measures designed to reduce consumption and the social normalisation of tobacco and nicotine products.

The activities, organised into six sub-tasks, include:

• systematic reviews of the scientific literature on the effectiveness and acceptability of regulatory measures
• analyses of prevalence, patterns of use and temporal trends of emerging nicotine products
• assessment of health effects associated with the use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches

The results will contribute to strengthening the European scientific evidence base, countering industry arguments that are not supported by robust evidence, and supporting EU Member States in developing effective tobacco and nicotine control policies, in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

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