Every other Croatian smoker takes up to 24 cigarettes a day! ‘Fuel poisons and smoke are guilty of cancer’
It is estimated that in Croatia every third person smokeswhich puts us among the countries with the greatest consumption of cigarettes in the world. The consequences of smoking are severe – about 14,000 people die in Croatia every year in Croatia, which means that we are losing the city of Makarska year after year, say data of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
On the occasion of commemoration World Non -Smoking Day A panel of 24sata « Challenges and Opportunities – a decrease in the smoking rate in Croatia » was organized, attended by: Assistant Director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, mr. Željko Petkovićuniv. spec. Crim., Asst. Ph.D. Ranko StevanovicMD, President of the Harph Association, Croatian Health Damage Association, and Asst. Ph.D. Stipe DrmićMD
In Croatia, more and more let go every year
According to the Croatian Institute of Public Health, every other Croatian smoker blows between 15 and 24 cigarettes a day. One cigarette shortens life on average in eight minuteswhich means that whoever smokes a box of cigarettes per day loses as much as two hours and 40 minutes of life every day, or about 40 days a year.
Despite these alarming data, since 2011, compared to 2024. We have continuous growth of smoking prevalence, which is the opposite of what the European Commission and the EU jelly, said mr. Petkovic.
Experts say about 400,000 people are struggling with some kind of addiction in Croatia, but only ten percent express their desire to treat. In other words, 360,000 people do not want to accept the fact that they have a problem or treated.
– Any addiction usually has a certain emotional difficulty in the background. Today people most often smoke in response to chronic stress And the pressure of a modern lifestyle – explains Dr. Drmić.
– ‘Everything or Nothing’ method Often results in failure, which is why it is important to combine different approaches. It is necessary to reduce damage from all sides – to combine psychotherapy, pharmacological methods, as well as to ensure the right support of family and society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnne6tmbsxa
Alternative products as a possible solution?
– It has long been believed that nicotine and tobacco products directly cause cancer, but this is not true. A dozen countries, including the UK, New Zealand, Sweden and Greece, accepted the concept that it was not a problem itself by Nicotine and the tobacco newspaper but to combus tobacco at the top of a cigarette – explains Dr. Stevanovic.
– This fervor and smoke, which arise by combustion at temperatures of about 800 degrees, contain toxins and poisons that cause nasal cancer from the nose to the ears and clog the blood vessels. It is these toxins that are most dangerous for smokers.
In this sense, alternative tobacco products, which do not involve tobacco combustion, are considered less harmful and represent part of the harm reduction strategy for compulsive smokers.
Let us also mention that the Croatian Health Insurance Institute consumes around 200 million euros annually on the treatment of smoking diseases. In the UK, for example, smokers are increasingly encouraging to move on to less harmful alternative products, reducing the financial burden on the health care system and helps them with a time.
« It’s not easy to quit smoking, only 3% of people have succeeded and that is why any help is welcome, » Mr concluded. Petkovic.
