Will the dreams of the Bulgarians loathing tobacco smoke finally come true? Minister of Health Dr Stefan Konstantinov plans to impose a ban on smoking in public indoor venues across Bulgaria from 1 June. Under amendments to the Health Act smoking will be prohibited in restaurants, bars, pubs, taverns, cafes, theaters, movie theaters and office buildings. A smoking ban is already operational in schools, kindergartens and social homes for children and adults. The ban is expected to play down major public health hazards related to smoking.
By the way, the struggle for a public indoor ban on tobacco and tobacco smoke that have proven harm for both smokers and non-smokers, has been going on for years. At this stage large public buildings have special smoking zones and in restaurants, bars and cafes the smoking and nonsmoking areas are divided by regulated partition walls. Smaller cafes or restaurants have been left to decide whether to be for either smokers or non-smokers. This transition period has been allowed following protests of restaurant and hotel owners who had fears of losing many customers and incurring massive losses. As a result the full ban on public indoor smoking was delayed with a whole year. In this way the investments made by hotel and restaurant owners for partition of smoking and non-smoking premises have been in part compensated.
Now the health minister is adamant that the ban on smoking in public indoor venues should get enforced on 1 June. Latest surveys in Bulgaria have suggested that more Bulgarians become aware of smoking health risks. For only one year the number of local smokers declined by 3 percent. However, it could be that giving up smoking has been motivated by the rise in tobacco prices. I can detect a keener interest among my patients in giving up smoking, says Dr Sofia Angelova from Sveta Sofia Specialized Hospital for the Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases.
“Well, of course, I just can’t imagine that a great many Bulgarians will stop smoking but I still believe that tobacco prices have a role to play in times of crisis. I guess financial motivation could be key. I also hope that a total ban on smoking will be enforced in Bulgaria just like in the rest of the civilized world.”
Every day Dr Sofia Angelova sees the pain in the eyes of her smoker patients. Many of them have developed a condition typical of those addicted to tobacco, the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that makes breathing difficult. However it is even more tragic when passive smokers develop the condition. With smokers the brain stroke risk is also very high, by 82 percent higher than with non-smokers. More from Dr Sofia Angelova:
“The most alarming disease linked to smoking is lung cancer. In both Bulgarian and global statistics, 90 to 95 percent of lung cancer patients are smokers. This is followed by the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the disease of smokers. This is a condition that blocks normal breathing. The smoker’s bronchi contract and are filled with mucus released by harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. The only thing that can prolong the lives of COPD patients is giving up smoking. Smokers should be aware that there is no medicine able to stop the progressing effect of tobacco smoke on their lung function. The only optimistic scenario is treatment coupled with giving up smoking.”
Every year 5000 Bulgarians are diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than 20,000 regular smokers develop the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Unfortunately, smoking has started to impair the health of younger generations too. Statistics suggest that Bulgaria is first across the EU in the number of smokers among kids aged below 15. Some 35 percent of boys and 30 of girls smoke. Sadly, Bulgarians top Europe’s charts in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, heart and brain stroke. And smoking is regarded as one of the main factors that cause them.
Translated by Daniela Konstantinova
