Anti-smoking campaign launched in the Marina Alta

An anti-smoking campaign has been launched by the Addictive Behaviour Community Prevention Unit (UPCCA) of the Department of Addiction Prevention in the MarinaAlta.

The campaign launched on May 31, the World Day without Tobacco, seeks to raise awareness within schools and public buildings of the dangers of smoking. Initially the campaign will focus on Dénia, La Xara and Jesus Pobre.

Headlined “No tobacco, you win!”, the intention is to educate teenagers of the harmful effects of smoking including its addictive nature. Similarly posters and information in public buildings will be used to convey the same message to adults of all ages.

According to UPCCA, young people do have a high awareness of the dangers of smoking and they are also aware of the benefits. However, many still take up the habit with influence of peers including family, often the main reason people begin to smoke.

Considered a social habit by many and a means to controlling weight, smoking continues to be popular although the number of smokers is said to be dwindling.

According to Statista, an average of 24 percent of the population reported to smoke in 2020, with 22 percent of them being daily smokers. Around half of Spaniards have never smoked with the balance being ex-smokers.

The anti-smoking campaign hopes to reduce the numbers of smokers with roughly 8.6 million people being daily smokers in Spain as of 2020, of which approximately 3.8 million were women and about 4.9 million were men.

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