Europeans smoke way too much!!

[Milltown Row2]

Just back from Spain, stayed at a Campsite that was full of Dutch, French and some Spanish. thing is nearly 90 percent of the holiday makers smoked!!

Smoking seems to be a way of life or a culture that they love. Kids as young as 14/15 smoking in the company of their parents. i found it strange as I've always found that the majority of people from France and Holland that i have spoken to over the years come across as being smart intelligent people.

would lung cancer be very high in these countries? Is the same effort being put in by their governments to reduce the amount of people that smoke?

[David McKeown]

My experience of restaurants in the south of Spain was pretty much that you had to ask the table next to you if they minded that you weren't going to smoke so much was the culture of smoking.  I have noticed this start to change a little with a few restaurants now not allowing smoking

[armaghniac]

Smoking is one of the downsides of Spain generally.

Smoking pretty much increases in Europe from North to South, lowest in Sweden/Finland and highest in Greece. This is reflected in prices of fags, the more responsible governments tax these heavily. Smoking used to be extremely prevalent in Eastern Europe, but these are now declining to the same levels as the West.

Smokers: Percentage of people between the ages of 15 and 55+ who smoke cigarettes, cigars or a pipe:

Greece — 42
Bulgaria — 39
Hungary — 38
Latvia — 36
Spain — 35
Austria — 34
Poland — 33
France — 33
Cyprus — 32
Estonia — 32
Ireland — 31
Belgium — 30
Romania — 30
Lithuania — 30
Denmark — 29
EU average — 29
UK — 28
Slovakia — 26
Slovenia — 26
Malta — 26
Italy — 26
Czech Republic — 26
Luxembourg — 25
Germany — 25
Netherlands — 24
Portugal — 23
Finland — 21
Sweden — 16

Credit link: http://livingingreece.gr/2010/05/31/smoking-greece/#ixzz0uJdMllyQ

[haranguerer]

Maybe you don't smoke enough...

[Maguire01]

It is very annoying when you're in mainland Europe. Makes you appreciate the smoking ban here even more as well.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I thought we were in Europe, when did we start apeing the Brits?

[Milltown Row2]

I thought we were in Europe, when did we start apeing the Brits?

1690 

[armaghniac]

Interesting the large difference in smoking between Spain and Portugal. I was in Portugal recently and smoking wasn't a problem, which wasn't the case when I first went there.

Portugal has the highest proportion of people who have never smoked, which suggests an unusually intelligent nation.

[Milltown Row2]

seems that Eastern Europeans still  the highest deaths by lung cancer

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I thought we were in Europe, when did we start apeing the Brits?

1690 

1169 (What is all this shite about 1690, lots of trouble before that).

[ONeill]

I don't smoke but I like smokers and being amongst smokers. Smokers are cool.

[Milltown Row2]

I thought we were in Europe, when did we start apeing the Brits?

1690 

1169 (What is all this shite about 1690, lots of trouble before that).

sorry 1969 got my dates mixed up, but you wouldn't know anything about it mayogodhelpus man

[Tony Baloney]

seems that Eastern Europeans still  the highest deaths by lung cancer

The graphic shows that women in Ireland and the UK have higher death rates than those in Eastern and Mediterranean Europe. Women in those countries are too busy making tae and sandwiches. The feminist dividend?

[stpauls]

i also think that the price of tobacco products are a big influence in how many people smoke in ireland, and on the continent.
considering it would cost you at least £5 for a pack of 20 here, yet it is only about €3 in Germany for the same.

[Milltown Row2]

i also think that the price of tobacco products are a big influence in how many people smoke in ireland, and on the continent.
considering it would cost you at least £5 for a pack of 20 here, yet it is only about €3 in Germany for the same.

yes  think that also but the fags are different also, Marlbro fags are different (apparently) in strength than in UK