Press Release
August 2008
MAJOR NEW INITIATIVE TO TACKLE SMOKING IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
Depending on where a European smoker lives, some will die 10 years sooner than their neighbours! This huge discrepancy is due to differing European levels of tobacco control, services and availability of clinically proven products. Smoking is a serious health inequalities issue which is now being tackled by the European Network of Quitlines thanks to funding from a Pfizer Foundations Global Health Partnership Programme.
Ten countries are participating in The Social Exclusion Training and Capacity Building programme which was recently launched in Poland. The project will mentor Quitlines in Eastern and Central Europe to develop effective strategies to reach and support socially excluded communities. These include those on the lowest incomes, different minority ethnic communities, lone parents, pregnant smokers and young people.
Both general and country specific needs will be supported. In Latvia, children as young as six are smoking and in Bulgaria doctors often smoke in front of patients. The 3 year programme aims to tackle these and many other smoking related issues.
“ It is essential that the disparity between European countries is urgently addressed in order to reduce the health inequalities gap and ultimately save thousands of lives. We must have a level playing field in public health for workers and consumers. A consumer visiting a smoke-free restaurant in London (bans on smoking in the UK) should have the same socializing environment in a restaurant if he /she visits Warsaw. A worker in Paris should be able to transfer jobs to Sofia and expect the same smoke-free environment,” said Kawaldip Sehmi, Director of Health Inequalities for UK charity QUIT and the lead agency of the ENQ.
Countries participating include Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lativa, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The highest rates of smoking and the highest health inequalities are experienced by populations of these countries. The UK as the lead agency of the European Network of Quitlines will manage the project based on established Best Practice.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact Glyn McIntosh on 0207 553 3266 out of hours 07958795199 or Kate Spicer on 0207 553 3267.
Background information is available on -
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/358/23/2468.pdf
http://www.ensp.org/files/30_european_countries_text_final.pdf
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