Dr. Ramon Reyes
Prof. Francesco Schittulli
Prof. Marco Alloisio
Welcome to the 10th European Conference on Tobacco or Health
ECToH Milan 2026 – “Building Spaces for Healthier Cities” – reflects a critical vision for the future. In the coming years, our cities must become more than just places to live — they must be environments that actively promote health, well-being, and sustainability. To achieve this, we must clear our urban spaces of tobacco, nicotine, and all emerging products — from schools and parks to streets and public transport hubs.
To build healthier cities, we must focus on creating smoke- and nicotine-free environments — areas with clean air, accessible green spaces, and urban spaces that prioritize health for all, especially vulnerable populations. By removing harmful products and centering health in urban planning, we can foster cities that improve both physical and mental well-being.
This goal aligns with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which urges countries to implement effective measures to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke in public places. It also supports the European Union’s target, set in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, of achieving a Tobacco-Free Generation by 2040.
Yet, this vision is threatened by the tobacco industry’s growing narrative of a “smoke-free future.” While this message may appear aligned with public health, it is in fact a strategic illusion. By promoting new nicotine products under the guise of harm reduction, Big Tobacco is rebranding itself as part of the solution, while continuing to fuel addiction and obstruct tobacco control efforts.
At ECToH 2026, we will explore how we can work together to create cities that are not only free from tobacco and smoke, but also from nicotine and aerosols — and that fully embrace sustainable, health-promoting environments for everyone.
Join us in Milan, as we take a bold step towards building a healthier Europe.
Dr. Silvano Gallus
Welcome from the ECToH 2026 Scientific Committee
Tobacco and nicotine use remain the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Europe and across the world. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence linking tobacco and nicotine consumption to cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and a long list of other health problems, we are still far from eliminating this epidemic.
We have known the facts for decades. Yet, progress is too slow. The inaction — or insufficient action — in the face of such clear harm is no longer acceptable, especially when new nicotine and tobacco products continue to emerge, aggressively marketed and misleadingly positioned as safer alternatives.
Adding to this danger is the growing influence of Big Tobacco’s narrative of a “smoke-free future” — a message that may sound aligned with public health goals but is, in reality, a strategic illusion.
By promoting alternative products under the guise of harm reduction, the industry is rebranding itself as part of the solution, while continuing to drive addiction and undermine tobacco control efforts.
This narrative risks deeply confusing the public, especially young people, who may begin to believe that the industry genuinely supports healthier cities and a healthier world. But this is not a commitment to health — it is a health illusion, a carefully crafted promise that diverts attention from the continued harm these products cause and the aggressive tactics used to normalize them.
That is why the 10th European Conference on Tobacco or Health comes at a crucial moment. Not only does this edition mark a significant milestone in the history of ECToH, but it also presents a unique opportunity to align tobacco control with a broader vision of health and sustainability: Building Spaces for Healthier Cities. Health is not created in hospitals or laboratories alone — it is shaped in the places where people live, learn, work, and connect. Tobacco and nicotine have no place in the cities we want for future generations. Cleaner air, more green spaces, and public environments free from harmful substances are essential to achieving the WHO’s One Health approach to protect people from tobacco smoke and the influence of the tobacco industry.
As the European Union aims for a Tobacco-Free Generation by 2040, defined as less than 5% of the population using tobacco, this conference is more than a scientific event — it is a collective commitment to act.
At ECToH 2026, we will reflect, exchange, and innovate together. We will discuss how to reach the most vulnerable, how to improve communication in a digital world, how to counter the evolving tactics of the tobacco industry, and how to design urban policies that promote clean, equitable, and healthy spaces for all.
We invite you to join us in Milan — to share your knowledge, challenge old paradigms, and help shape a healthier Europe.