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Health Strategy

4. Smoking – Drugs – Obesity

Smoking

Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the European Union accounting for some 650 000 smoking-related deaths each year and over a million deaths in Europe as a whole. Almost half of these deaths are of persons aged between 35 and 69 – well below the average life expectancy. It is estimated that 25 percent of all cancer deaths and 15 percent of all deaths in the Union can be attributed to smoking.

The EU is actively developing a comprehensive tobacco control policy, which is characterised by a four-stage approach: legislative measures , support for Europe-wide smoking prevention and cessation activities, mainstreaming tobacco control into a range of other Community policies (e. g., agricultural policy, taxation policy, development policy) and aiming for a pioneering role for the EU in tobacco control at a global level.

Early in 2007 the European Commission published a discussion paper, the Green Paper, Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level, inviting comments from all stakeholders on what should be the way forward.

The Commission’s report on the findings concludes that, “The great majority of contributors welcomed the Green Paper as a timely addition to the EU and global debate on smoke-free policies and expressed support for further efforts to promote smoke-free environments throughout the EU. The majority of respondents share the Commission's view that only a full smoking ban in all enclosed workplaces and public places, with minimum exemptions on humanitarian grounds, can adequately protect the health of citizens and workers.”

During the course of 2008 the Commission intends to put forward a follow-up initiative on smoke-free environments.

Drugs

Drugs are a problem which affects both public health and public order in all member states. The negative health effects on heavy drug users are devastating and even occasional use carries risks.

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction EMCDDA reported in November, 2007, that, “After over a decade of rising drug use, Europe may now be entering a more stable phase. Not only are there signs that heroin use and drug injecting have become generally less common, but new data suggest that levels of cannabis use may now be stabilising after a sustained period of growth. Nevertheless, positive messages are marred by high levels of drug-related deaths and rising cocaine use.”

EMCDDA estimates that there are around 3 million daily cannabis users in the EU, even though the substance is getting less popular among the young. The use of cocaine is rising: around 4,5 million Europeans reported using the drug in the last year. There are 7000-8000 overdose deaths per year – about 22 every day.

The EU started to coordinate the fight against drugs in the early ‘90s. The first Global Action Plan to Combat Drugs was agreed for 1994-99. In 1999, the European Council in Helsinki endorsed the EU Drugs Strategy (2000-2004), which pledged to reduce the use of drugs especially among the young, reduce drug-related crime and health damage (HIV/AIDS, TBC, hepatitis), and increase the number of successfully treated addicts.

In December, 2004, the European Council endorsed the second EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012), which is put into practice through the EU Drugs Action Plan (2005-2008). The Commission will carry out an impact assessment in 2008 in order to propose the second Action plan for the period 2009-2012.

The main goals of the Strategy are:

• to achieve a high level of health protection, wellbeing and social cohesion by complementing the Member States’ action in preventing and reducing drug use, dependence, and drug-related harm to health and society;

• to ensure a high level of security for the general public by taking action against drugs production and manufacture, cross-border trafficking in drugs and diversion of precursors, and by intensifying preventive action against drug-related crime;

• to strengthen the EU’s coordination mechanisms, ensuring that action taken at national, regional and international levels is complementary and contributes to the effectiveness of drug policies. Furthermore, in September 2007, the EU started a Drugs Prevention and Information Programme. The programme will provide €21,35 million to fund transnational projects which aim to prevent and reduce drug use, dependence and drug related harms over the period 2007-2013.

Obesity

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are more than three times more obese people in European countries today than there were in the 1980s. According to Eurobarometer, an average European spends more than six hours per day seated.

Obesity has become one of the most serious public health problems in the EU. It increases significantly the risk of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes and certain cancers – the very diseases that are a leading cause of mortality in Europe and worldwide.

Especially serious is the rise in child obesity, since eating and exercise habits of the young tend to persist throughout life. According to the Commission, some 3 million European schoolchildren are obese today.

To tackle this “epidemic,” as the Commission says, a special EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was brought to life in 2005. It brings together consumer groups, industry and health experts to find ways to combat obesity and contain or, preferably, reverse current trends.

In May, 2007 the Commission adopted a White Paper on A Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues, to set out an integrated EU approach for reducing ill health due to poor nutrition, overweight and obesity. It promotes:

• better information for consumers (involving nutrition labeling, nutrition and health claims made on foods as well as advertising and marketing of foods);

• healthy choice (increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreasing fat/salt/sugar levels of manufactured foods);

• increasing physical activity (commuting, sports and activities for children).

In 2008, the Commission plans to initiate a study on the feasibility of reformulating foods to reduce the levels of nutrients that contribute to the development of chronic diseases. In 2010, progress made in implementing the Obesity White Paper will be reviewed. This is seen by many as the deadline for the food industry and advertisers to make changes for the better, before they are forced to do so through legislation.