Press Release: Commission calls for Smoke Free Europe by 2012

On 29 June, 2009, the European Commission adopted , after extensive consultation, a proposal for a Council Recommendation calling on all Member States to bring in laws to protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke by 2012. Tobacco remains the largest single cause of premature death and disease in the European Union. According to conservative estimates, 79,000 adults, including 19,000 non-smokers, died in the EU-25 in 2002 due to exposure to tobacco smoke at home (72,000) and in their workplace (7,300).

European Commission: MEMO/09/307: Questions and answers on the Commission proposal on smoke-free environments http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/307&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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