17/09/2024
The EU has called on member states to ban smoking and va**ng in outdoor areas including playgrounds, swimming pools and restaurant patios as part of a crackdown on second-hand smoke.
In a non-binding recommendation, the European Commission said on Tuesday that extending "smoke-free environment policies" would better protect people's health, particularly of children.
Sweden is the only European country that has fully banned smoking on restaurant and bar terraces, according to the Smoke Free Partnership, a coalition of European NGOs.
The commission is urging the bloc's 27 countries to extend restrictions in place for ci******es to cover electronic ci******es and other emerging products, such as heated to***co devices, "which increasingly reach very young users."
"We have a duty to protect our citizens, in particular children and young people, against exposure to harmful smoke and emissions," said Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
To***co is the largest avoidable health risk in EU countries, killing roughly 700,000 people a year.
Globally, to***co use is estimated to kill more than eight million people each year, including about 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke, World Health Organization statistics show.
Among the locations where all smoking should be banned, the commission listed bus stops, zoos, rooftop bars and cafe terraces.
The European Commission is aiming to create a "to***co-free generation" where less than 5 % of the EU population uses to***co by 2040 as part of its plan to beat cancer.