Best EU countries to stop smoking

Although smoking cigarettes is clearly a dying habit, European Governments are still trying to persuade people to quit, despite the tax benefits involved.

A new study has revealed the best EU countries to live in, plus the UK, if you want to stop smoking, with Ireland taking the top spot.

As perhaps might be expected, there was some commercial interest in the study as it was commissioned by online vape store, Go Smoke Free.

The research analysed multiple factors to determine which country is the best to live in to stop smoking; factors include the percentage of smokers, the average cost of cigarettes, tobacco dependence support, and the number of smoke-free areas.

Each country was ranked individually and awarded a score out of ten for each category to determine the overall ranking.

Price often makes people quit

Ireland comes out on top with a final score of 87.45, making it the best place in the EU to live if you want to quit smoking which might be good for smoker’s pockets as Ireland is the most expensive at €13.43 per pack.

Sweden, came second with the lowest percentage of smokers at just 7 per cent of the population  and the most smoke-free areas, with a complete smoking ban in many public places, including restaurants, sports venues, and public transport.

The United Kingdom came third with perhaps the surprising news that it has the second lowest of smokers as only an estimated 12 per cent still puff away but perhaps part of the reason is that it also has the second most expensive cigarettes at the equivalent of €10.26 per pack.

The Netherlands was fourth and Spain fifth despite the constant complaints about fake cigarette factories and smuggling of tobacco from Andorra and Gibraltar and it would have been higher in the table if the price of cigarettes was not so low when compared to other countries.

If you are trying to quit don’t visit this country

The worst place to try to stop smoking in the EU is Bulgaria where a packet of cigarettes costs just €2.77.