Half of the men in Moldova smoke. The ratio is two times higher than in the European Union. At the same time, the percentage of smoking women in the EU is higher than in Moldova, said Ghenadie Turcanu, program coordinator at the Center for Health Policy and Analyses. The data were presented in a flashmob meeting that involved students of the State University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics “Nicolae Testemitanu”, IPN reports.

Ghenadie Turcanu said it is not sufficient for the young people to be informed about the consequences of smoking. Conditions should be created for them to make a healthy choice. If the tobacco companies continue the aggressive marketing policy targeting mainly the teens and women, the number of smokers will increase every year.

He also said that the tobacco industry moved to poor countries because the countries with a developed economy approved comprehensive legislation aimed at controlling tobacco and the situation there improved. The death rate due to smoking in the EU is 5-6 times lower than in Moldova. Of the 100% of non-smokers who die because of exposure to cigarette smoke, 50% are women, while one third are children.

The flashmob meeting “Stop advertising, promoting and selling tobacco products” was staged in the central park of Chisinau on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day that is marked on May 31.