WITH OFFICIAL local figures showing that 12 to 13 per cent of all deaths in over-35s are smoke related, the Cyprus Anti-Drugs Council has promised to step up efforts to have the smoking ban fully enforced
Marking World No Tobacco Day today, the council yesterday announced figures they said showed that the island’s death toll from smoking was five times higher than the number of road fatalities. Around 100 people a year die on the roads, which would put the number of smoking-related deaths at 500 a year.
“It is estimated that in 2025, global deaths related to smoking will exceed 10 million,” the council said, adding that this made them more determined to push for a full smoking ban in all public areas.
“The full ban is the most effective measure to deal with smoking,” it pointed out. “The compromise measures and ventilation regulations cannot be implemented; they create discrimination and fail to protect public health from the harmful consequences of active and passive smoking,” the council added, citing the World Health Organisation.
“Protecting the public from the consequences of smoking is an unquestionable right of every member of the public,” it concluded. “Ensuring this is not just a personal responsibility but an obligation for the state and it can only be achieved through collective efforts.”
The bicommunal Technical Committee on Health Matters – one of the many appointed when direct talks started between the two community leaders to find a solution to the Cyprus problem – called on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to refrain from smoking today, as a positive step towards leading a healthier lifestyle.
“No other consumer product is as dangerous, or kills as many people as tobacco does,” the Committee pointed out. “With about five million tobacco-related deaths per year (worldwide), tobacco use is regarded as the leading cause of preventable death in the world today with deaths attributable to tobacco use greater than the number of total deaths due to drug use, alcohol consumption, AIDS, car accidents, suicides and murders together.”
The technical committee said it aimed to use its role to reduce the devastating effects of tobacco use among Cypriots in terms of its health, economic, social and environmental impact.
“Moreover, our goal is not merely to warn of the dangers of smoking, but to establish our voice and actions as derived from our civil role in Cyprus in compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC),” it added.
The committee aims, among others, to promote communication between the two communities so that experiences can be shared and the best possible practices adopted.
“The challenge for us is not only to persuade the individual but also to create environments which are conducive to non-smoking behaviour,” it said. “Every cigarette that Cypriots do not smoke is a gain for them and to society, whoever they are and wherever they are. Together, we can inspire social change and give hope to our society protecting ourselves and the future of our children from the detrimental effects of tobacco.”
It concluded, “The Technical Committee on Health Matters requests both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to refrain from smoking on the 31st of May – an important first step towards a healthier life”.
