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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
According to the latest guidelines issued by the European Commission, smoking could soon be banned on the terraces of cafés and restaurants in France. Indeed, it recommends that member states better protect their citizens from the risks of passive smoking. What are the risks? Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, enlightens us.
Are we heading towards a ban on smoking on café and restaurant terraces? The latest directives from the European Commission, dated 17 September, are moving in this direction and call for “stricter measures for smoke-free environments to better protect public health“.
Terraces, but also bus stops, parks or zoos
The European Commission is therefore recommending that Member States better protect their citizens from passive smoking. This decision supports the Commission’s plan to reduce smoking by 30% by 2025 and create a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040.
And cigarettes are not the only product targeted. Electronic cigarettes, as well as other heated tobacco products, could also be affected by the ban. Used by many as a substitute for cigarettes, “Their potential harmful effects are serious and their users can become addicted to nicotine and often end up consuming both traditional tobacco and emerging products” says the European Union.
Also, other places are likely to be added to the list, such as bus stops, parks, outdoor swimming pools, zoos or even the surroundings of schools, playgrounds and hospitals.
Passive smoking causes tens of thousands of deaths each year in Europe
“Tobacco is the leading risk factor for cancer, with more than a quarter of cancer deaths attributed to smoking in the EU, Iceland and Norway” assures the European Commission.
An observation shared by Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, who points out that “In adults, passive smoking increases the risk of ischemic heart disease by 27% (myocardial infarction) and 25% the risk of lung cancer”.
More seriously, it is estimated that “passive smoking is responsible for around 1,100 deaths each year in France, from heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer or chronic respiratory diseases” the doctor estimates.
Although the harmful effects of cigarette smoking are known, there is no guarantee that this ban will be enforced. Indeed, “The European Union simply calls for their implementation, but has no decision-making power, since health policy falls within the competence of the states.”