Brussels, 31/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - Most Europeans would like tougher anti-smoking measures, like making cigarettes less visible and attractive, according to research carried out by the European Commission and published on Wednesday 30 May, the day before World Anti-Smoking Day.
The research shows that smoking is the leading avoidable cause of death in the European Union, with some 695,000 early deaths a year, at an estimated cost of €100 billion. On average, 60% of Europeans want measures to make cigarettes less visible and less attractive like not displaying them in shops and not allowing the use of attractive scents. Only 53%, however, want higher cigarette duty, explains the study, entitled “Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco”.
In March 2012, 28% of people living in Europe aged 15 and over smoked, 21% had given up and 51% had never smoked. The country with the highest proportion of smokers is Greece (40%) and the lowest proportion is found in Sweden (13%). France is in the middle (28%). Smokers in Europe smoke on average 14.2 cigarettes a day and start smoking at 17 and a half, mainly influenced by their friends and relatives, explains the study.
EU Health Commissioner John Dalli said he was gravely concerned that most people in Europe who smoke start smoking before their 18th birthday. In order to make cigarettes less attractive to children, the Commission is preparing changes to the 2001 smoking directive, he said, which will be unveiled in the second half of the year. The study shows that 61% of current smokers have tried to give up, one in five during the year leading up to the investigation. Bulgaria is the most recent EU member state to have introduced a total ban on smoking in public places, including cafés, bars and restaurants. (LC/transl.fl)