By Christopher Pitsillides
Nearly three in ten adults in Cyprus smoke, placing the island among the EU’s worst performers and far above the bloc’s ambitious 2040 target.
Despite years of public health campaigns and smoking restrictions, Cyprus continues to rank among the European Union’s heaviest smoking nations, according to the latest data released by the European Parliament.
The figures show that 29% of adults in Cyprus are smokers, placing the country seventh highest in the EU and well above the European average of 24%.
Only Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Romania, Latvia and Austria record higher smoking rates, highlighting a persistent challenge for Cypriot health authorities as Europe moves towards its goal of creating a “Tobacco-Free Generation” by 2040.
The contrast is particularly stark when compared with countries such as Sweden, where smoking rates have fallen to single digits, or the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland, which have all achieved significantly lower levels of tobacco use.
For Cyprus, however, smoking remains deeply embedded in everyday social life. From coffee shops and bars to family gatherings and outdoor public spaces, cigarettes continue to be a common sight despite increasing awareness of their health consequences.
Health experts warn that the impact extends far beyond smokers themselves.
According to EU estimates, one in five Europeans is regularly exposed to second-hand smoke. Medical evidence shows that passive smoking increases the risk of lung disease, cardiovascular problems and certain cancers among non-smokers, while children and infants are considered particularly vulnerable.
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death across Europe. It is linked to nearly 90% of lung cancer cases and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic respiratory illnesses.
The European Union has responded with an increasingly aggressive anti-smoking strategy that includes stricter packaging requirements, graphic health warnings, restrictions on advertising, higher tobacco taxes and continent-wide awareness campaigns.
Brussels has also set a highly ambitious target: reducing smoking prevalence across the EU to just 5% by 2040.
For Cyprus, reaching that goal would require a dramatic transformation.
At 29%, the island’s smoking rate is almost six times higher than the EU’s long-term objective and five percentage points above the current European average.
Public health advocates argue that achieving meaningful progress will require more than legislation alone. Stronger enforcement of smoke-free regulations, wider access to smoking cessation programmes and sustained education campaigns targeting younger generations are all likely to play a crucial role.
The challenge is not simply reducing the number of smokers, they say, but changing a social culture in which tobacco use remains widely accepted.
As Europe accelerates its efforts to curb tobacco consumption, Cyprus finds itself facing a difficult question: can it follow the path of countries that have successfully reduced smoking rates, or will it remain among the bloc’s most tobacco-dependent societies?
Source: European Parliament / Eurostat (2023).
Data refers to cigarette smokers and excludes other tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and snuff.
Also read: Cyprus to launch digital vaccination registry replacing paper records
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