The 2025 State of Health in the EU report highlights persistent tobacco-related health risks across Europe, as well as notable national trends. While adult smoking rates in the EU remain significant, the report underscores rising use of alternative nicotine products among adolescents in several countries.

In Romania, daily smoking prevalence among adults remains close to the EU average, at around 20%, with a pronounced gender gap: 31% of men smoke daily compared with 8% of women. Youth indicators draw particular attention. 23% of Romanian 15-year-olds reported smoking cigarettes in the past month, well above the EU average, while 26% used e-cigarettes at least once in the same period, one of the highest rates in Europe.

The report also notes Romania’s continued regulatory tightening. The excise tax schedule introduced in 2022 for the 2022–2026 period remains in place, and restrictions on tobacco and nicotine products have expanded. In 2024, Romania banned the sale of alternative products, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, to individuals under 18, complementing earlier advertising prohibitions and the national indoor smoking ban.

Overall, the findings point to stable adult smoking levels, growing adolescent experimentation with nicotine products, and an increasingly stringent regulatory environment.