The Maltese are among the biggest supporters in the EU of legislation banning smoking from public places and other indoor environments.

This was revealed in a Eurobarometer survey issued yesterday by the European Commission on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day today.

According to the survey, 93 per cent of Maltese respondents said they were in favour of banning smoking from restaurants and bars. The percentage also remains high when it comes to other indoor places such as offices and public places, with 84 per cent of Maltese respondents backing a no-smoking policy.

The only other EU member state with the same level of support towards anti-smoking laws is Ireland (93 per cent), followed by Italy (90 per cent) and Sweden (88 per cent). On the other hand, the least enthusiastic populations are the Czechs and Austrians.

The EU-wide survey, conducted in Malta by Misco with a scientific sample of 500 respondents, also reveals that the number of smokers in the EU is dropping.

According to the Commission, the number of people smoking in the EU has dropped from 33 per cent in 2002 to 27 per cent last year. However this data is only available for the old EU member states.

In Malta, 55 per cent of the respondents said they have never smoked a cigarette in their life and only 25 per cent said they regularly smoke. Five per cent of these said they smoked more than two packets of cigarettes a day while the majority, 20 per cent, said they smoke up to 14 cigarettes a day.

On the other hand, 17 per cent said they used to smoke but stopped. Seventy-five per cent of smokers said they also smoke at home.

Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said the survey shows that the EU is making progress in reducing the number of smokers and reveals the ever-growing strength of feeling against smoking in Europe.

The Commission intends to put forward a Green Paper on smoke-free environments later this year.