Brussels/Madrid – The European Fee has requested European governments this Tuesday to increase the smoking ban to sure outside areas the place non-smokers are particularly uncovered, resembling bar and restaurant terraces, playgrounds and swimming pools, or bus stops. Moreover, it has advocated for making use of this veto to rising merchandise resembling digital cigarettes, whether or not they include nicotine or not.
“In a European Well being Union, we’ve the obligation to guard our residents, significantly youngsters and younger folks, from publicity to smoke and dangerous emissions,” stated Well being Commissioner Stella Kyriakides in an announcement through which she additionally highlighted the frequent dedication to attain a “tobacco-free technology” by 2040.
The advice is just not binding as a result of member states have unique competence over well being insurance policies, however Brussels encourages them to include this purpose into their nationwide methods “taking into consideration their explicit circumstances and wishes.”
In line with information from the European Fee, round 700,000 folks lose their lives annually in EU nations on account of diseases linked to tobacco consumption, together with “tens of 1000’s” whose consumption is oblique on account of secondhand smoke.
In Spain, the Minister of Well being, Mónica García, has expressed help for the Fee’s report and famous that Spain is already engaged on legislative reform to increase the locations the place smoking is prohibited.
“The European Fee leads the way in which by indicating that anti-tobacco insurance policies want to incorporate outside areas. Spain has already began by approving the Tobacco Prevention Plan. Now we’re engaged on legislative reform for extra smoke-free zones,” stated the minister in a submit on the social community ‘X’.
In line with García “preventing the main reason behind preventable loss of life, which takes 50,000 lives annually, is an pressing necessity.” (September 17)
