Bilbao (EFE).- 25% of the Basque population over the age of 14 is a smoker and the age of initiation of this harmful habit is precisely those 14 years, and it is more frequent in girls than in boys.
The Basque Minister of Health, Gotzone Sagardui, and the Director of Public Health of the Basque Government, Itziar Larizgoitia, have appeared at a press conference on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.
First cause of preventable death
After remarking that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world and the origin of oncological, respiratory and cardiac diseases, they have highlighted that one of the Health objectives is to delay the age of initiation of consumption.
Each year that is delayed is “important” because at these ages consumption is “very addictive” and creates a very strong habit, although they have recognized that there is also “group pressure” that makes it difficult to act with these age groups.
Another objective is to reduce consumption in general, since tobacco is related to 50% of mortality in developed countries and is associated with the most common chronic pathologies.
To this end, the measures that have been “most effective” are increasing the price of tobacco and hindering its consumption in certain environments.
In relation to this last measure, Sagardui has indicated that the network of smoke-free spaces created last year in the Basque Country already has 211 points on beaches, swimming pools, school and sports environments, parks and squares in 55 towns.
This network has grown by 45% -it started with 144 smoke-free spaces- and currently covers 35 municipalities in Biscay, fourteen in Gipuzkoa and six in Álava.
The objective of this initiative is to promote environments with healthy lifestyles and free from the contamination of smoke and cigarette butts.
Osakidetza Help
Sagardui has also emphasized that the Basque Health Service-Osakidetza provides help to give up this habit to anyone who wants to give up consumption.
Specifically, during 2022 a total of 4,158 people started treatment to stop smoking. Of them, almost 60% were in the age range of 45 to 64 years.
Among the help channels offered by Osakidetza, 86% used the individual one; 6% online group therapy, and another 6% face-to-face group therapy.
The counselor has also stressed that there is no safe form of tobacco or nicotine consumption and that both traditional cigarettes and water pipes, vapers or electronic cigarettes are harmful to health.
In the same act they reported on the anti-smoking awareness program that has been carried out in Basque schools since 2011 aimed at students in 6th grade of Primary and 1st and 2nd of ESO.
Since then, a total of 82,000 students from 939 centers have participated in this program, which talks about the influence of tobacco companies, group pressure, the gender perspective or pollution.
In 2022, this program reached 4,672 students from 55 educational centers. EFE
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