Smoking kills some 15,000 Greeks a year, study shows
More than 15,000 Greeks die every year of smoking-related causes yet Greek smokers annually spend between 25 and 30 million euros in total to purchase tobacco products, a study presented by the Hellenic Thoracic Society has shown.
The study, which was presented last Saturday during an event in the northern Greek city of Trikala on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, found that 37 percent of Greek adults smoke. It also noted that apart from there being large number of women smokers, many also continue to smoke during pregnancy.
Specifically, of the 36 percent of women who smoke at the beginning of pregnancy, only 19 percent kick the habit – and most of these start up again after giving birth.
Overall 37.7 of women between the age of 18 and 34 are smokers, as are 51.2 percent of those aged 35 to 54. The data also noted a rise of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among women, from 5 to 10 percent.
