Passive smoking

BELGRADE - Serbia on Friday marks the National No Tobacco Day, and the Health Ministry signals increased control of public smoking, pointing to the fact that nearly 50 pct of the population are smokers and more than a half are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.

Health ministry: Nearly 50 percent of Serbians smoke

BELGRADE -- Serbia on Friday marks the National No Tobacco Day, and the Health Ministry has signaled "increased control of public smoking," said Tanjug.

It was at the same time said that "nearly 50 pct of the population are smokers and more than a half are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke."

BELGRADE - One-third of Serbian adults are smokers, including as much as 13 percent of the young, while 63.4 percent of children are still exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in their homes, participants of the conference 'Twinning project: Improving tobacco control in the Republic of Serbia' said on Tuesday.

Greek President Karolos Papoulias on Monday lent his support to an ongoing campaign to raise public awareness about the risks of smoking and passive smoking, especially to young children.

During a meeting with Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and his deputy Zetta Makri, Papoulias agreed to throw his weight behind the drive, saying that he is “committed to the cause against smoking.”

As a state crackdown on smoking in public places intensifies, a joint survey by the Education and Health ministries has indicated that smoking among school-age children is a growing problem, with one in 10 secondary school pupils admitting to smoking regularly while the majority claim to have had their first cigarette before the age of 13.