"Smoking is one of the most widespread and serious addictions and one of the main health risks responsible for many diseases," the head of the Zagreb Municipal Health Office, Mirna Situm, said on Tuesday.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that every eight seconds one person dies as a result of the harmful effects of tobacco. According to WHO estimates, 1.3 billion people smoke today and nearly 6 million die annually as a result of smoking. Unless the present trends are halted, the annual number of smoking-related deaths might reach 8 million by 2030.
In Croatia, 27.4 per cent of adults smoke, and over 9,000 people die annually from smoking-related diseases.