February 4 (BTA corr. Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Bulgaria has the second highest number of smokers among all EU member states and Britain, according to a Eurobarometer survey, the results of which were presented by the European Commission on Wednesday, on the eve of the World Cancer Day.

Greece is the country with the highest number of smokers, 42 per cent, followed by Bulgaria, 38 per cent, and Croatia 36 per cent. Sweden has only seven per cent of smokers, while The Netherlands and Britain, 12 per cent each.

Estonia has the highest share of people who have given up smoking, 36 per cent, followed by Ireland, 34 per cent, and Sweden, 33 per cent. In Bulgaria, 14 per cent have quit smoking.

The survey, titled Attitudes of Europeans towards Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes, showed that an average of 23 per cent of the participants smoke.

The findings show that in Bulgaria indoor smoking us twice more prevalent that in the rest of the EU, 62 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.

The survey also showed that the majority of those who have given up smoking (88 per cent in Bulgaria and 76 per cent in the EU) managed to do so without additional help. RI/ZH


/DT/