Brussels, 02/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Chronic respiratory diseases - the third cause of mortality among European citizens - should be the subject of more effective prevention and treatment, especially among children. This was the main point of the conclusions adopted on Friday 2 December by the EU Council. During the debates, two factors were highlighted by European ministers in Brussels as having a significant impact on the risk of developing this kind of illness: tobacco consumption and alcohol. Special attention was paid to such diseases in children as passive smoking in the home is a danger for children and increases the risk of developing asthma, stressed EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli. European health ministers set out several measures that should be encouraged to: - ensure better prevention (by promoting the cessation of smoking among pregnant women), make early diagnosis (by improving national health programmes); - and exchange experience with the creation of networks linking national health centres for greater cooperation. (JK/transl.jl)