Youth advocacy and the path to a tobacco-free Europe

On 8 April 2025, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) explored how a tobacco-free generation could protect lung health in the future. ELF attended the event where Petra shared her insights as a young patient advocate.

Tobacco smoking is the main cause of many lung diseases, including COPD and lung cancer. The event brought together patients, healthcare professionals, public health organisations and policymakers. They discussed the risks of smoking and how action can be taken to reduce its impact on respiratory health.

Last year, the European Commission proposed recommendations to establish smoke-free environments across the European Union. The recommendations encourage EU member states to expand smoke-free spaces to areas popular amongst children, such as playgrounds and swimming pools. During the event, recent research from the ERS was presented to discuss the likelihood of implementing these policies in the future.

Petra, who lives with cystic fibrosis, played a vital role in representing the perspectives of young patients at the event. She highlighted how, despite continuous efforts to control access to tobacco in Hungary, around 1 in 3 of her classmates still smoke or use e-cigarettes. Many young people who take up smoking are pressured by their friends and wrongly believe that the negative health effects of tobacco only affect older adults. 

As a result of Petra’s discussions, she plans to work with the Lungs Europe team to develop an advocacy toolkit. She hopes this will encourage countries across Europe to implement stricter tobacco control policies and protect the lung health of future generations.