The Battle Against Youth Smoking in Austria: Are Alternative Tobacco Products the Answer?

The use of electronic cigarettes and tobacco products is legal in Austria for those aged 18 and above. According to a report from the Rauchfrei Beratungszentrum, every fifth 17- to 18-year-old apprentice smokes e-cigarettes.

Dr. Lukasz Antoniewicz, a lung specialist at the Allgemeines Krankenhaus Wien, sees this as a danger: “The products are attractively packaged and are minimized.” The colorful, sweet-tasting disposable e-cigarettes in particular seem to lead young people to smoking, says Antoniewicz.

Despite this, the number of smokers is gradually decreasing (see below). According to data from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Austria, there were 11.3 billion cigarettes sold in Austria in 2023, which amounts to 550 million packs of cigarettes sold. This represents a decrease of approximately 3.5% compared to the previous year. Cigarettes have a poor image and are becoming increasingly expensive. On average, a pack costs €5.77 in Austria today; next year it will be €6. This increase in price is due to factors such as higher taxes on tobacco products.

Alternative tobacco products like heaters are taxed at lower rates in this country. A tobacco heater heats the tobacco electronically up to temperatures of up to 350°C – unlike cigarettes, where the tobacco is burned. According to the manufacturer, this makes them much less harmful than traditional cigarettes. However, lung experts like Dr Antoniewicz disagree: “The fact that they are healthier is purely marketing.” Although fewer combustion products are created when using heaters, nicotine remains present and should not be trivialized.

According to JTI Austria’s market share of alternative tobacco products currently stands at around 6%. Ralf-Wolfgang Lothert, a member of the management team at JTI Austria, refers to these as “niche products” even though he recognizes their potential for growth in certain markets. However, he notes that “the market remains relatively small.”

Marie T., who turned 26 years old three months ago