Q:
A:
Whole society needs to get mobilised in anti-smoking campaign
Belgrade,
31 May 2006
Serbian Minister of Health Tomica Milosavljevic announced today on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day that the increase of cigarette prices will become a “trend” in Serbia in coming years.
Author:
FoNet
Milosavljevic told a press conference that cigarettes are still cheapest in Serbia and added that Serbian citizens smoke one billion packs of cigarettes a year.
He pointed out that a strict anti-smoking campaign will be carried out first in health and educational institutions and facilities for the production of food and also added that the whole of society needs to get mobilised.
Milosavljevic expressed expectation that Serbia will not issue any more cigarette production licences, adding that it will take time for trends to change and for the number of smokers to be halved while the number of children smokers needs to be reduced to zero.
He also said that the government set up a body yesterday, the Tobacco Control Council, which should suggest a national tobacco control strategy.
Assistant Minister of Health Snezana Simic said that a lot of necessary steps have already been taken for citizens’ awareness to be changed. She added that the present situation is somewhat better than in 2000, when statistics showed that every second man, every third women and every fourth child in Serbia smoked.
Head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in Belgrade Dorit Nitzan said that the use of tobacco is among primary causes of death which can be prevented. She pointed out that tobacco takes five million lives every year.
According to Nitzan, smoking is proven to have harmful effects on almost every organ in human body, with 90% of lung cancer cases and many other types of cancer and breathing difficulties.
He pointed out that a strict anti-smoking campaign will be carried out first in health and educational institutions and facilities for the production of food and also added that the whole of society needs to get mobilised.
Milosavljevic expressed expectation that Serbia will not issue any more cigarette production licences, adding that it will take time for trends to change and for the number of smokers to be halved while the number of children smokers needs to be reduced to zero.
He also said that the government set up a body yesterday, the Tobacco Control Council, which should suggest a national tobacco control strategy.
Assistant Minister of Health Snezana Simic said that a lot of necessary steps have already been taken for citizens’ awareness to be changed. She added that the present situation is somewhat better than in 2000, when statistics showed that every second man, every third women and every fourth child in Serbia smoked.
Head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in Belgrade Dorit Nitzan said that the use of tobacco is among primary causes of death which can be prevented. She pointed out that tobacco takes five million lives every year.
According to Nitzan, smoking is proven to have harmful effects on almost every organ in human body, with 90% of lung cancer cases and many other types of cancer and breathing difficulties.
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