WORLD HEART FEDERATION CONGRATULATES UEFA ON A SMOKE-FREE EURO 2012
WORLD HEART FEDERATION CONGRATULATES UEFA ON A SMOKE-FREE EURO 2012
Geneva, 20 October 2011 - The World Heart Federation congratulates UEFA on their announcement today that they will hold the first ever tobacco-free European Football Championship, especially considering that half of all adult men in the host country of Ukraine are smokers. The regulation will apply without exception to all spaces within stadia perimeters, both indoors and outdoors.
As one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease, tobacco kills almost six million people every year, more than 600,000 of whom are non-smokers who die from exposure to secondhand smoke. It is the effects of secondhand smoke combined with the high rates of death and tobacco use in the Ukraine that make this tobacco-free EURO such an important accomplishment. By prohibiting the use, sale and promotion of tobacco during EURO 2012, UEFA is ensuring that individuals attending these sporting events will not unwillingly leave the football game less healthy than when they entered due to exposure to secondhand smoke. World Heart Federation, CEO, Johanna Ralston states “it is fitting that this tobacco-free EURO be held in the Ukraine, a country that has extremely high male mortality rates and experiences a truly catastrophic burden of non-communicable disease, even greater than most of the rest of Europe. We commend UEFA for using EURO 2012 as a platform to promote healthier living for all”.
Our partners at the European Healthy Stadia Network join us in applauding UEFA and highlighted that the establishment of a tobacco-free UEFA EURO 2012, "is the culmination of over a year's partnership work and policy development between the European Healthy Stadia Network, World Heart Federation and the World Health Organization. Enforcement of this policy will safeguard fans, staff and officials attending matches against the known harm caused by secondhand smoke, and creates an environment that is conducive to those trying to quit smoking. The vast majority of people attending football matches across Europe prefer tobacco-free venues and we would argue that non-smokers, in particular children, have the right to breathe clean air that is not contaminated by carcinogens and other harmful substances in tobacco smoke at all major sports events."
For media enquiries, please contact:
Charanjit K. Jagait, PhD
Director of Communications & Advocacy
Tel: +41 22 807 03 34; Mob: +41 (79) 625 32 96
Email: charanjit.jagait@worldheart.org
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