Tobacco consumption: 1 in every 4 persons aged 15 or over in the European Union is a smoker… and 1 in 5 confronted by passive smoking

While slightly over three-quarters (76.0%) of those aged 15 or over living in the European Union (EU) were non-smokers in 2014, 19.2% smoked any kind of tobacco products on a daily basis and a further 4.7% on an occasional basis. In other words, nearly 1 in every 4 persons (24.0%) aged 15 or over in the EU was a current smoker in 2014.

The share of current smokers differs between genders, with a higher proportion of men (28.7%) smoking than women (19.5%) in the EU in 2014. In addition, slightly more than a fifth (21.6%) of the EU population aged 15 or over was exposed, on a daily basis, to tobacco smoke indoors.

• Primary Source

EurActiv, 07.12.16: Eurostat: One quarter of EU citizens are smokers http://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/eurostat-one-quarter-of-eu-citizens-are-smokers/

The Local.se, 07.12.16: Sweden has the fewest smokers in Europe: EU report http://www.thelocal.se/20161207/sweden-has-the-least-smokers-in-europe-eu-study

Greek Reporter, 07.12.16: In Greece’s Smoking-Obsessed Culture, Passive Smokers Suffer http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/12/07/in-greeces-smoking-obsessed-culture-passive-smokers-suffer/

The Sofia Globe, 07.12.16: One in three Bulgarians smokes – the highest rate in the European Union http://sofiaglobe.com/2016/12/07/one-in-three-bulgarians-smokes-the-highest-rate-in-the-european-union/

---