Brussels, 22/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Most people interviewed in a recent Eurobarometer survey said they were in favour of anti-smoking policies. These results were presented by Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health, to the European Parliament in view of World No-Smoking Day on 31 May.
An overwhelming majority of them (88%) support a ban on smoking in offices as well as workplaces and enclosed public places - a slight increase on last year's figures (86%). The investigation also revealed that one smoker in three has tried to give up smoking over the last twelve months. 70% of them, however, started smoking again less than two months later. Commissioner Kyprianou announced that one of the actions in the European anti-smoking campaign “HELP - For a Life Without Tobacco”, will launch on 31 May an e-mail coaching service to support people as they quit smoking. A European Youth Manifesto "Young People: For a Life Without Tobacco" was also presented to the Commissioner and MEPs in Strasbourg.
A majority of Europeans are also in favour of smoke-free bars (62%) and restaurants (77%). Support for smoke-free policies is highest among citizens in countries where such policies have already been introduced, such as Ireland, Sweden and Italy. Moreover, the majority of smokers themselves favour smoke-free restaurants, offices and other indoor workplaces and indoor public spaces.
Around half of European homes are smoke-free. This varies from 83% in Finland and 69% in Sweden, to 17% in Croatia and 26% in Greece. On average, 22% of respondents say that smoking inside is not allowed for anyone, 19% declare that smoking is only allowed outside and a further 8% say that people voluntarily do not smoke in the house.
It is estimated that tobacco consumption kills 650,000 people a year in the EU while a further 80,000 are killed by passive smoking. On 31 January 2007, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper "Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level" http: //ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/Tobacco/smoke_free_en.htm , to launch a broad public consultation on the best way to promote smoke-free environments in the European Union.
The stakeholders are invited to submit their comments to the Green Paper until 1 June 2007. The Commission will then analyse the responses and produce a report with the main findings of the consultation, before considering further steps. In addition, the Commission is preparing a report on the implementation on the Council Recommendation 2003/54/EC on the prevention of smoking and on initiatives to improve tobacco control (http: //eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2003/l_022/l_02220030125en00310034.pdf). (oj)