Addressing a press conference to launch an island-wide anti-smoking campaign, Pamborides noted that “smoking constitutes a primary risk factor in Cyprus since we have one of the highest percentages of smokers in Europe, estimated to be 31% of the population.”
Unfortunately, he added, according to the 2015 Eurobarometer Cyprus is among the top countries on exposure to smoking in the work place with a percentage of 55% and the highest of exposure to cigarette smoking in the work place between 1 to 5 hours (14%).
These figures, the Health Minister pointed out, highlight the importance of this year`s campaign in the context of which a relevant memorandum has been issued, including recommendations on how to ensure full implementation of the legislation which stipulates that smoking is prohibited in public buildings and that inspections will take place.
Conservative estimates show that in 2002, 7,300 adults died in the EU, including non smokers, from passive smoking in their work place, he said.
Referring to the clinics to help people quit smoking which operate in Cyprus, Pamborides said that in 2015, 276 people applied to take part in the programmes, 208 of whom took part and 93 completed them successfully. The success rate of 45% is thought to be particularly satisfactory on the basis of international data, he added.
He further said the Ministry has launched the 1431 quit smoking telephone line to keep the public informed of all the free programmes available in their area.
Addressing the press conference, Assistant Chief of Operations in Police Headquarters Lambros Themistokleous said that the police did 35,180 inspections and wrote up 7,725 people for smoking in areas prohibited by the legislation.
Alexis Papadopoulos on behalf of the Respiratory Society of Cyprus said that a recent study of the Nicosia General Hospital Pulmonary Clinic with 10,000 participants found that 31,9% of people in Cyprus are smokers.
Cyprus, Papadopoulos added, is above the EU average of 28%, adding however that Greece ranks first with 40% while northern European countries have much lower percentages of smokers and he gave the example of Sweden with 16%.
On his part Secondary General Education Department head Kyprianos Louis said that as a result of concerted action in 2015 the percentage of students smoking has been reduced, adding that it is expected that both teachers and students will contribute to the effort of having schools with no smoke