Corporate Declaration for Smoke-Free Spaces
Tobacco use is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death worldwide, causes a third of all cancers, and up to 16 different types; in Europe it causes 82% of lung cancers.
In Spain it is the number one cause of preventable illness, disability and death. Despite the enactment of Law 28/2005 and its subsequent amendment in 2010, the prevalence of smoking in Spain remains high. In 2019, the EDADES survey conducted by the Ministry of Health showed that the proportion of smokers in Spain 32.3%. This smoking rate, far from the international health standard, must be reduced to approach the goal set in the European Cancer Action Plan “to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040 with less than 5% of the population smoking (currently the prevalence of smoking consumption in the European Union is around 25%)”.
Eliminating tobacco consumption in our country will succeed. Prevents 30% of cancer casesUp to 50% of cancer cases can be avoided through preventive policies and measures such as adopting healthy lifestyle habits and promoting more smoke-free places, which are most effective if acquired from childhood.
There is a strong movement around the world to reduce tobacco consumption in public and outdoor spaces, and Spain should be among the most advanced countries in protecting the health of minors and adults. Scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke (the side smoke from the end of a lit cigarette) and to firsthand smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker); even small amounts can be harmful to human health.
Organizing smoke-free areas on terraces, beaches, swimming pools, bus stops and building entrances, as well as prohibiting the consumption of electronic devices in any public place; assumes that tobacco consumption is unstable. This also means conveying an adequate perception of the danger of passive smoking to the population, which leads to people who smoke being more aware of the problems that tobacco can cause to those who live with them, and trying to distance themselves from others. when smoking.
In our independent society, the number The number of people who smoke daily in the Balearic Islands is 216,651 people.According to data from the Cancer Observatory of the Spanish Association for the Fight against Cancer in the Balearic Islands during 2023. The incidence of lung cancer was 684 cases diagnosed -Compared to 658 cases diagnosed in 2022-, numbers that place it in fourth place after colon, breast and prostate cancer; but it is the first type of tumor that claims the highest number of deaths: 515 deaths in 2023, which is far more than the 339 deaths due to colon and rectal cancer.
Agreements:
1. The Capdepera City Council states that current anti-smoking laws are insufficient. Smoke-free areas must be expanded, ensuring monitoring and compliance with the amended law.
2. The Capdepera City Council asks the State Government to accommodate the regulations at the level so that the Government of the Balearic Islands has the legal tools to maintain the anti-smoking measures in place to limit the Covid-19 pandemic and to ban smoking in certain public places as a measure to prevent diseases such as cancer or heart disease.
3. The Capdepera City Council calls for the implementation of relevant actions to promote more smoke-free spaces, respecting and guaranteeing the right to health of people, especially minors, who are currently severely exposed to secondhand smoke.
4. The Capdepera City Council will formalise a collaboration agreement with the Spanish association Conta el Câncer in the Balearic Islands to declare Plaça Castellet, Plaça Sitjar and Plaça de l’Orient
5. The Capdepera City Council expresses its support for cancer research, as a fundamental tool in the fight against this disease, and conveys its appreciation to all the associations and entities that support people with cancer for their commitment and continuous work.
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