BELGIUM: CONTINENT-WIDE STUDY ON SMOKING FINDS THAT EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS URGENTLY NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY COMBATING SMOKING
Record ID:
646871
BELGIUM: CONTINENT-WIDE STUDY ON SMOKING FINDS THAT EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS URGENTLY NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY COMBATING SMOKING
- Title: BELGIUM: CONTINENT-WIDE STUDY ON SMOKING FINDS THAT EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS URGENTLY NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY COMBATING SMOKING
- Date: 12th October 2004
- Summary: (EU) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (OCTOBER, 12, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN BRUSSELS 0.06 2. WIDE OF EUROPEAN FLAGS 0.09 3. PEOPLE SMOKING OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 0.19 4. WS: NEWS CONFERENCE ON TOBACCO AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 0.24 5. VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST READING A TOBACCO REPORT (2 SHOTS) 0.34 6. SLIDE SHOWING A RANKING OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ON TOBACCO PREVENTION EFFECTIVENESS 0.44 7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) RESEACHER LUK JOOSSENS SAYING: "The price is the highest in the UK. There have been also reports in France that as a result of price increase, this had an impact amongst youngsters, because they have less money available, so the impact of price is more important amongst youngsters than other population." 1.03 8. CLOSE OF SLIDE SHOWING FIGURES FOR THE U.K. 1.07 9. PAN: CIGARETTE DISPLAY IN SHOP 1.20 10. VARIOUS MAKES OF CIGARETTES ON DISPLAY AND HEALTH WARNINGS ON CIGARETTE PACKS (2 SHOTS) 1.38 11. VARIOUS OF MAN BUYING A PACK OF CIGARETTES (2 SHOTS) 1.46 12. (SOUNDBITE)(French) DIMITRI MARGARITIS TELLING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CIGARETTES IN HIS LIFE: "I have been smoking for 45 years now, it's the only pleasure I have in my life. I really can't quit smoking. I am alone and cigarettes are a comfort to me, but I am paying a high price to buy my daily dose of cigarettes." 2.03 13. PAN: BUILDING OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND TERRACES AT PLACE LUXEMBOURG IN BRUSSELS 2.09 14. SV/CU: PEOPLE SEATED OUTSIDE AT TABLE SMOKING (2 SHOTS) 2.17 15. (SOUNDBITE)(French) NON-SMOKER MIGUEL CALLEJA ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HIGHER PRICES ON SMOKING SAYING: "It maybe puts a brake on smoking, but in my eyes the real smokers will continue smoking as before. We have seen price increases for many years now, and people still continue smoking. I don't think it will change a lot for the hardcore smokers." 2.2.38 16. (SOUNDBITE)(English) RUSSIAN STUDENT VISITING THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MARIA BOZHOGLO SAYING: "Yes, I have been smoking for six years, but I don't smoke for 1 year now. (Question: was it because of the high price?) Because I think it's not healthy and just for the future, my kids and my family. Actually, I don't like girl with cigarettes, at least now I don't like it." 3.02 17. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SPANISH STUDENT AND SMOKER BLANCA JIMENEZ: " No, I don't accept the fact that you cannot smoke in certain places like in bars, I don't like that. But I think it is a good idea to increase the price of cigarettes." 3.14 18. VARIOUS OF SMOKER LIGHTING A CIGARETTE AND INHALING (4 SHOTS) 3.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 27th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA6BTTQCLCF79HEZC06UTAUOGDJ
- Story Text: European governments urgently need to spend more
money on combating smoking, a continent wide study on
anti-smoking says.
A continent wide study on smoking found Luxembourg,
the Czech Republic and Austria had Europe's patchiest
anti-smoking programmes, while Iceland and Britain scored
highest for their efforts to curb the habit. Among the
European Union's (EU) larger economies, Spain and Germany
were the worst performers.
"There is an urgent need for more investment in tobacco
control programmes," said the study by the European Network
for Smoking Prevention, realeased on Tuesday (October 12).
"In the European Union, only the UK spent more than 1.00
euro per capita on tobacco control."
Researcher Luc Joossens, who helped compile the report,
said "The price is the highest in the UK. There have been
also reports in France that as a result of price increase,
this had an impact amongst youngsters, because they have
less money available, so the impact of price is more
important amongst youngsters than other population."
However, some people did not seem to think that
increasing the price of cigarettes would curb smoking.
"It maybe puts a brake on smoking, but in my eyes the
real smokers will continue smoking as before. We have seen
price increases for many years now, and people still
continue smoking. I don't think it will change a lot for
the hardcore smokers," said Miguel Calleja.
Dimitri Margaritis believed that increased prices would
not stop him smoking.
"I have been smoking for 45 years now, it's the only
pleasure I have in my life. I really can't quit smoking. I
am alone and cigarettes are a comfort to me, but I am
paying a high price to buy my daily dose of cigarettes," he
said.
Others were against limiting or banning smoking from
bars or restaurants.
" No, I don't accept the fact that you cannot smoke in
certain places like in bars, I don't like that. But I think
it is a good idea to increase the price of cigarettes,"
said a Spanish student, Blanca Jiminez.
The U.S. government estimates effective anti-smoking
programmes require between one and three dollars per person
per year for several years.
Tobacco control programmes include measures such as
media campaigns, education, telephone helplines and strict
enforcement of smoking restrictions.
The report ranked the European Union's 25 member
states, and neighbours Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland,
for their progress on six anti-smoking measures recommended
by the World Bank.
The study's criteria included raising taxes on
cigarettes, smoke-free policies in offices and public
places, anti-tobacco advertising and clear warnings on
cigarette packets.
The survey also rated access to help for smokers who
want to quit and government budgets for tobacco control.
Wealthy Grand Duchy Luxembourg and the Czech Republic
scored lowest, partly because of their cheap cigarettes.
Iceland came top, as it has taken almost all of the
Bank's measures to heart. Britain was second, scoring high
for making cigarettes so expensive with tax.
Data from Philip Morris France, a unit of Altria Group
Inc. shows a packet of 20 Marlboro cigarettes cost 6.60
euros ($8.12) in Britain in January, but 2.90 euros in
Luxembourg.
Anti-smoking initiatives have gained pace in Europe
this year. In March, Ireland became the first country to
ban smoking in restaurants, bars and pubs.
Norway and Malta have since instituted similar bans,
and Sweden is set to follow in 2005.
And last week incoming European Health Commissioner
Markos Kyprianou urged all EU governments to follow
Ireland's example within five years, since there was no
bigger evil than smoking.
The survey said many states had succeeded in
dramatically reducing smoking over the last two decades,
with male smoking in Sweden and Denmark falling more than
40 percent.
But it warned that smoking among teenagers had only
fallen in a few parts of the EU between 1993 and 2002.
"(That's) very poor progress indeed -- and a worrying
picture," the report said.
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