The number of deaths from smoking worldwide fluctuates around 7.7 million people annually. The worst thing is that this figure includes not only those addicted to tobacco but also non-smokers, who are daily exposed to secondhand tobacco. This statistic is simply terrifying, as it has overtaken deaths from wars or epidemics. That is why Europe is determined to fight the bad habit even with unpopular methods.
The French want to live long
The French government is preparing a legislative framework for the introduction of a ban on disposable e-cigarettes. They see several risks:
– some consider them less threatening to health;
– teenagers and women more often choose this type of smoking due to the absence of an unpleasant smell;
– they cause even greater damage to the environment because the materials of disposable electronic cigarettes are rarely utilized according to the rules and decompose independently for a very long time.
That’s why they plan to limit seriously the sale and use of such products.
To protect the children
In Germany, the maximum attention was focused on children because this category suffers the most from secondhand tobacco smoke, especially if children are in a limited space with a smoker. As absurd as it is, in most cases, one of the parents becomes such an adult.
That is why in Germany, they plan to ban smoking in cars if there are children who have not reached the age of majority. Moreover, they take care of children who have not yet been born, so it will not be possible to smoke in the car in the company of pregnant women.
The size of the fine for such a violation has not yet been determined, but it is planned to make it so large that the desire to violate the ban does not arise.
Born not to smoke
In Great Britain, the plans are more ambitious. They intend to raise the first generation free of tobacco addiction. To do this, the sale of tobacco products to children born after December 31, 2008, will be prohibited in the territory of England. That is, it will work like this:
– initially, the ban will apply to everyone under the age of 14;
– after a year – those who are younger than 15 years old;
– after another year – those who are younger than 16 years old, etc.
Therefore, every year, the age of people to whom tobacco products can be sold will increase by 1 year. In a few dozen years, those who smoke simply will not remain.
However, the government is guided not only by caring for people’s health but also by pragmatic motives. It is estimated that by 2030, at the current smoking rate, the British economy will lose £17 billion annually.
