Smokers still a substantial minority within EU

Figures from a just-released Eurobarometer survey indicates that 26 percent of EU residents are current smokers, down from 28 percent in 2012, according to a story in Malta Today, relayed by the TMA.

The survey was conducted among nearly 28,000 residents of the EU’s 28 nations.

Sweden, with 11 percent, and Finland, with 19 percent, were found to have the lowest proportions of smokers, while Greece, with 38 percent, and Bulgaria, with 35 percent, had the highest.

Twelve percent of EU residents have tried e-vapor products, the survey found, up from seven percent in 2012, while two percent use them.

Four percent of current EU smokers also use e-vapor products, with the highest rate of dual use found in the UK (11 percent), France (eight percent), Denmark (seven percent) and the Netherlands (seven percent).

Three percent of former smokers use e-vapor products, with the highest rates found in the UK (eight percent), Ireland (six percent) and France (six percent).

No more than one percent of never smokers in any country are current electronic cigarette users.

Meanwhile, Ireland, with 74 percent, Cyprus, with 73 percent, and Malta, with 69 percent, had the largest proportions of survey respondents who supported banning corporate colors, logos and promotional elements from tobacco product packaging.

Such packaging restrictions had the lowest level of support in the Netherlands (43 percent) and Bulgaria (45 percent).

Sweden, with 70 percent, Finland, with 68 percent, and Malta, with 67 percent, had the largest proportions of respondents in favor of increasing taxes on tobacco products, while support for higher taxes was lowest in France (39 percent), Greece (41 percent) and Bulgaria (43 percent).

The survey findings are at: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_429_en.pdf (Malta Today 6/23).