Tabakspolitiek in de EU
“Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the European Union accounting for over half a million deaths each year and over a million deaths in Europe as a whole. It is estimated that 25% of all cancer deaths and 15% of all deaths in the Union could be attributed to smoking. In order to curb this epidemic, the European Community is actively developing a comprehensive tobacco control policy, which is characterised by a four-stage approach.”
Dat is de openingszin van een introductiepagina waarin de EU aangeeft hoe ze haar tabakscontrole wil gaan realiseren. Het is de standaardzin op veel antirokerspagina’s, hoewel het blijkbaar aan hun voorbij is gegaan dat de collega’s in de gezondheidsindustrie allang hebben verklaard dat vetzucht wel eens erger zou kunnen zijn.
Let trouwens op het woordje ‘could’. Zijn ze er toch niet zo zeker van?
– legislative measures are the backbone of the Community’s present and future tobacco control activities
– support for Europe-wide smoking prevention and cessation activities is another important element in the tobacco control strategy
– mainstreaming tobacco control into a range of other Community policies (e. g. agricultural policy, taxation policy, development policy) is essential in order to make sure that tobacco control principles are part of all relevant policies
– make sure that the pioneering role of the European Community in many tobacco control areas produces an impact beyond the frontiers of the European Union, and establish the Community as a major player in tobacco control at a global level.
Het wordt tijd dat de rokers zich Europawijd gaan organiseren!
