EUROPEAN smokers could soon find they have nowhere left to smoke if the European Commission implements a total ban on smoking in public places across the 27-member bloc.
If the ban were to go ahead, Cypriot authorities would find they could no longer turn a blind eye to smokers who currently flout the island’s smoking laws.
A total ban on smoking in public places throughout Europe is feasible, Health Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“It is possible. We will have to wait and see what the outcome of the public consultation process is, but it is possible,” he said.
The commissioner was referring to the recent launch of a broad public consultation on the best way to promote smoke-free environments in the European Union. The European Commission adopted the Green Paper, entitled ‘Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level’, in order to examine the health and economic burdens associated with passive smoking, public support for smoking bans, and measures taken so far at national and EU level.
Views are sought on the scope of measures to tackle passive smoking, and the consultation will examine the advantages and disadvantages of various measures, including a total ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and exemptions of different types (e.g. for restaurants and bars).
The public consultation is open to anyone, including non-governmental organisations, industry, authorities and individuals.
Kyprianou said: “What we want to see are smoke free environments all over Europe.
Whether this is achieved through national or EU laws is not important. Achieving the target is what counts for us.”
He was speaking to the Cyprus Mail following a news conference to announce that the Health-EU portal was now available in Greek.
The portal, which contains information on health issues in the European Union, was launched in English last May.
Kyprianou said he had given the smoking issue his political support since he took over as Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner in 2004.
“Now, however, a significant number of member states have introduced bans, and therefore we felt now was a time to bring the debate to the European level,” he said.
Asked how well he thought such a ban would go down in Cyprus, a country that flouts its existing smoking laws, Kyprianou said although the island was behind in this area, other countries had also been until public dialogue began.
“For example, take France. The prime minister set a goal and now it’s banned in all public places,” he said.
“Everyone knows that in Cyprus the smoking law is not enforced, but the point is we have to try and implement it and to reinforce it so that it’s more effective. It will take time to change people’s attitudes and mentalities but we need public figures to show a good example and political leadership, and to start discussing the issue which will help in the adoption of an eventual ban.”
Cyprus has one of the strictest smoking laws in Europe; however, it has never been implemented. The majority of people are unaware such a law even exists.
Smoking is prohibited in all public places, including places of entertainment (restaurants, bars, etc.), in all government buildings, public transport, and in private cars carrying any passenger under 16 years old. Owner of bars, restaurants and caf?s can have a designated smoking area, provided that the area is well ventilated.
Kyprianou said: “The point is to start talking about it even if it takes time. We also have to remember that the majority of people in Cyprus are in fact non-smokers and they should claim the right to breathe smoke free air.”
The Health Commissioner would not comment on the fact that smokers included the President of the Republic and a large number of lawmakers, let alone the fact that despite the no smoking signs in the building, the Justice Minister’s waiting room allowed smoking.
Kyprianou said that because there was currently no acquis communautaire on smoking, the EU could not intervene at national level.
“At the moment, we can recommend and advise, but each member state has its own laws. The outcome of the Green Paper might change that, although we don’t yet know what will happen,” he said.
Kyprianou said he backed more aggressive anti-smoking campaigns across a broader spectrum, including the internet, television, radio, schools, posters and flyers.
“We have to use every means possible. There is evidence that in countries where aggressive campaigns were used, the percentage of smokers went down. We also have to use a variety of campaigns to reach different target groups.”
But, he said, the Commission had limited funds, which were designed to complement not supplement national campaigns. He said 12 million euros had been allocated to the anti-tobacco ‘Help’ campaign, which had to cover all of Europe.
“Of course this is not enough so member states have to have their own campaigns,” he said.
Despite Kyprianou’s optimism, many Cypriots are pessimistic about a total ban in public spaces.
“There’s no way it will ever happen here. No way, never. We smoke everywhere, like you’re going to be able to tell Cypriots not to smoke after a meal, or in a club.
Businesses will plummet,” 31-year-old Marinos Christoforou said.
Athena Kyriakou was equally pessimistic.
“I’d love it if it happened but I just can’t see it. They smoke where I work and I’ve repeatedly told them I think it’s illegal but they just look at me as if I’m crazy. I’m not surprised since our employer also smokes so if he’s not putting a stop to it, why should my colleagues?
“People love to smoke too much and are too inconsiderate and selfish to care about us non-smokers.”
DISY deputy Stella Kyriakides said yesterday she would call for an end to smoking in Parliament.
“Smoking is an issue which concerns us all. We have the laws in Cyprus but they are not implemented, and as a Parliament we cannot expect clubs not to allow smoking when we don’t even enforce the law in our own back yard,” she said.
She was speaking after EU Health Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou’s news conference to launch the Greek version of the EU-Health portal.
Kyriakides said it was her proposal and challenge to make Parliament smoke free and to set up designated smoking areas instead.
“We have to set the example and so should be free from smoke. They [deputies] can have a room to go to where they can relax and smoke. The law exists, now the initiative to implement it is needed from us.”
The deputy, popular for championing social and health issues, said she was sure there would be reactions to her suggestion, but said mentalities had to change.
“I’m not against smokers. They have rights too and they should be respected, but they can smoke in a designated area,” she said.
A EUROBAROMETER survey on Europeans’ attitudes towards tobacco in the EU-25 shows that three quarters of Europeans are aware that tobacco smoke represents a health risk for non-smokers and indicates a large support for smoke-free policies among EU citizens. Eighty-six per cent of respondents are in favour of banning smoking in the workplace and 84 per cent of banning it in other indoor public places as well. The majority is also in favour of banning smoking in bars (61 per cent) and restaurants (77 per cent).
According to the Commission, tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the EU. About 650,000 people die each year because of smoking and a further 79,000 adults are killed by second-hand tobacco smoke. As to the economic burden of tobacco, recent statistics show that the yearly cost of s
moking-related diseases in the EU-25 is between €98 and €130 billion, the equivalent of one per cent and 1.4 per cent of GDP in each country.
Passive smoking remains a widespread cause of preventable death and disease in the EU. Chronic exposure to second hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers by 20-30 per cent and of heart disease by 25-30 per cent.
