Every day in Croatia, 25 people die due to smoking, and the country loses a city the size of Knin annually. These figures were presented at the National Conference 'Comprehensive Approach to Tobacco Control: From Policy to Practice', held in Šibenik and organised by the Croatian Institute of Public Health, as part of a project co-financed by the European Union.
According to the data presented, 38 per cent of adults in Croatia smoke, while the proportion of smokers aged 25 to 34 exceeds 40 per cent. Croatia is thus among the negative outliers in the European Union, where the average rate of smoking in the adult population is around 24 per cent.
Experts warn that there is no organ in the human body that does not suffer severe consequences from the use of tobacco products. The consequences of smoking include cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as malignant conditions, and the harm is not limited to the individual's health.
Data from international studies (ESPAD) show that 19 per cent of adolescents have smoked in the last 30 days, which is significantly above the European average. At the same time, the use of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products is rising among young people, who are also at risk to their health.
The consequences of smoking claim more than 8 million lives worldwide each year, with 1.3 million of the deceased being non-smokers who were exposed to second-hand smoke. In Croatia, the costs of treating health problems caused by smoking reach half a billion euros annually, while smoking harms the economy due to long-term absences from work, reduced working capacity, and early retirement.
Experts at the conference are discussing measures to reduce the use of tobacco products in Croatia. Measures include public health campaigns, prevention, tax policy, and support for people who wish to quit smoking, as well as stricter control over the sale of tobacco products to young people. The aim is for Croatia to reach the level of EU countries on the path to a smoke-free Europe.
