As part of the fight against cancer, the European Commission wants to put an end to smoking in busy outdoor spaces and is calling on Member States to take action to implement measures.
As part of the fight against cancer, the European Commission wants to ban smoking in heavily frequented outdoor areas, such as playgrounds and outside areas of service establishments such as transport stations.
In an initiative presented on Tuesday, the European Commission recommends that Member States extend smoke-free environmental policies to the main open-air areas of the European Union (EU).
The Commission will provide support, in particular through a direct grant worth €16 million from the EU4Health programme and €80 million from the Horizon programme, to strengthen tobacco and nicotine control, as well as addiction prevention.
These areas, according to a statement, include outdoor recreational areas where children are likely to gather, such as public playgrounds, amusement parks and swimming pools, outdoor areas connected to health and educational facilities, public buildings, services and transport stops.
The proposal also recommends that the 27 extend smoke-free environmental policies to emerging products, such as heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, which are increasingly targeted at very young users.
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides recalled that tobacco and related products have been affecting public health for years, highlighting that every year 700,000 people in the EU die from tobacco use, of which tens of thousands die from second-hand tobacco consumption.
Member States are invited to implement measures, including limiting exposure to aerosols, which aim to contribute to the creation of a tobacco-free generation by 2040, in which less than 5% of the population smokes.
Tobacco is the main risk factor for cancer, and more than a quarter of cancer deaths are attributed to smoking in the EU, Iceland and Norway.
Deaths and other health indicators (such as heart attacks in the general population and improved respiratory health) have improved thanks to the creation of smoke-free spaces, Brussels argues.
Health policy is the responsibility of the Member States.
Source: Observadora
