The first annual satirical “Ostrich Award” (think Darwin Award) goes to EU health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi for refusing to rely on facts. Mr Várhelyi comes from Hungary, a country where over 30 percent of the population smoke. And where 17,000 people die every year from smoking tobacco.
For reference, nobody has died from using nicotine pouches. To say that smoking is 17,000 times more dangerous than snus and nicotine pouches is of course not mathematically correct. But 17,000 people would have been alive last year if they had snus and nicotine pouches instead of cigarettes.
Motivation
The motivation for giving Mr Várhelyi the award is his fact-resistant stance on the dangers of vaping and nicotine pouches. When asked by Euractive if he believes that nicotine pouches are as harmful as cigarettes, Mr Várhelyi said “Yes, I am. Absolutely. One hundred per cent.” Which is a false interpretation of some seriously disputed data conclusions from WHO.
Pouch Patrol refers a 2024 study which claims that 3,000 lives have been saved in Sweden every year due to the readily available snus and nicotine pouches. Intense public information- and well executed education at schools has had a clear effect on reducing smoking in Sweden. But the one main difference between Sweden compared to other countries who have done more or less the same is the snus.
An 2024 study in Harm Reduction Journal estimates that around 3,000 lives per year have been saved in Sweden thanks to Swedish snus, which began to displace cigarettes in the 1970s. The analysis compared observed mortality with counterfactual scenarios where snus was absent.
So, Olivér Várhelyi wins the Ostrich Award this first year. For a more detailed description of the situation, please see Vejpkollen’s article (in English) on Mr Várhelyi’s claims. Also, here you can find Pouch Patrol’s article (in English) on their Ostrich Award.
