Latest Commission's figures on tobacco now available

EPHA has compiled some of the key findings of the study:

Tobacco consumption in the EU
28% of the European population smokes,
695 000 deaths per year in the EU,
smoking costs: a minimum of €100 billion,
7% of EU citizens have tried electronic cigarettes but they are generally uncertain of their health risks.

Purchasing tobacco
14 new health warnings to appear on tobacco products adopted in 2012,
an average 23% of respondents said that the packaging was the most important factor in choosing a cigarette brand. (they are 58% in Slovakia), 32% named its specific tastes (vanilla, menthol, etc.).

Motivations for starting or stopping smoking
70% of smokers and ex-smokers say that they started smoking before the age of 18,
peer pressure is the most commonly mentioned reason for starting (in 79% of the cases), specific tobacco flavours engenders smoking in 3% of the cases and the attractiveness of the packages in 3% of the cases,
3 out of 5 smokers have tried to quit smoking, often without any supports,
71% of the Bulgarian respondents and 54% of Slovakian mentioned the price of tobacco as a reason to stop smoking,

Awareness and attitudes
EU citizens are largely in favour of most policy measures with 54% of them being in favour of banning colours, logos and promotional elements on the packs, 56% in favour if increasing tobacco taxation and 76% of the respondents being in favour of putting pictorial warnings on all packages,
Health warnings influence around a third of the target group.

For further information