A new study, presented by the Hellenic Thoracic Society (HTC) on Saturday in Trikala, Greece, showed that approximately fifteen thousand Greeks die every year from smoking-related diseases.
This shocking statistic comes as no surprise to most, as 37 percent of the adult population in Greece admits to smoking, according to the same study.
The HTC noted that Greek smokers spend between €25 and €30 million per year to buy the highly addictive product.
The number of diseases caused by smoking places extra pressure on the country’s National Healthcare System, which ends up having to bear the heavy burdens of both treatment and prevention.
The new study also found that among the 36 percent of women who admitted smoking during the first months of their pregnancy, only nineteen percent managed to quit smoking once and for all. The majority of them admitted to resuming smoking right after they gave birth to their child.
However, the study found some positive aspects as well, as fewer young women smoke currently in Greece compared to older women.
Older women in Greece are far more likely to be smokers, as the majority (51.2 per cent) of the female population between 35 and 54 years of age admits to smoking. The percentage of smokers in the 18-to-34 age group is a much lower 37.7 percent.
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