The Tobacco Control Unit of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has joined the European Joint Action on Smoke and Aerosol-Free Environments (JA-SAFE), a major collaborative initiative aimed at advancing tobacco control and disease prevention across Europe.
Co-funded by the European Union through the EU4Health Programme, JA-SAFE brings together more than 60 public health institutions, research centres, and governmental bodies from 23 countries. Running from 2025 to 2029, the project aims to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, by addressing key risk factors such as tobacco and nicotine use.
A coordinated European effort for a tobacco-free future
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide and is a major contributor to deaths in the European Union. In response, JA-SAFE aims to significantly reduce tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols, supporting the EU’s ambition of achieving a “tobacco-free generation”. The Joint Action is structured around nine work packages grouped into five thematic areas:
- Promoting smoke- and aerosol-free environments
- Preventing alcohol-related harm
- Strengthening smoking cessation interventions
- Advancing towards a tobacco-free generation
- Enhancing health promotion and disease prevention systems
ICO’s role in JA-SAFE
Within JA-SAFE, the Tobacco Control Unit of ICO plays a key leadership role as coordinator of Work Package 5 (WP5). This work package focuses on supporting the implementation and enforcement of the new Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments (SAFE) across EU Member States, with particular attention to reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols (SHS-SHA).
Key activities include collecting real-world data on SHS and SHA exposure in public outdoor settings—such as playgrounds, school entrances, and hospitality terraces—across 15 EU countries. WP5 also strengthens a web-based repository of SAFE best practices, evaluates national enforcement strategies, and translates evidence into practical guidance.
In its final phase, WP5 will support Member States through in-country visits aimed at improving implementation, uptake, and compliance with smoke-free policies. Overall, the work package seeks to provide robust scientific evidence and hands-on support to ensure effective enforcement of the revised Council Recommendation, ultimately reducing harmful exposure in both indoor and outdoor public spaces.
Additional contributions
In addition, the ICO is involved in all nine work packages of the project and leads several key tasks and subtasks, including 6.1.1, which focuses on how alcohol advertising targets young people. This work involves a rapid review of the scientific evidence, a survey on young people’s exposure to alcohol advertising online, and an analysis of current regulatory frameworks.
