European institutions are frequently chastised for their perceived detachment from the common citizen. The Help-EU initiative, which aims to dissuade young Europeans from taking up the habit of smoking and in persuading smokers to kick the habit, is one of those initiatives which debunk such a myth.

As rightly stated, within such an initiative there is a welter of reasons as to why youngsters should not endear to cigarettes, among which the fact that tobacco kills (one out of 10 smokers had life expectancy reduced by 20 years), tobacco is addictive, it has negative health repercussions, including impotence for men and ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortions in women, tobacco smoke impinges on the health of others besides the smoker and tobacco is expensive.

Especially insipid and heinous is the threat posed to young children and non-smokers in general through passive smoking. For example, a child spending 80 per cent of his time in confined places and inhaling smoke will generate a habit and, later, a dependency. Smoke contains more than 4,000 products, most of which are toxic, and 40 carcinogenic substances that are inhaled by the smoker as well as by those close to him. A non-smoker whose spouse smokes has a 25 per cent increased risk of suffering from lung cancer.

Other diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease, are possible as well. Airing a smoky room minimises the smell of tobacco but only partially eliminates the chemical components that smoke is made of.

The World Health Organisation already blames cigarettes for five million premature deaths globally a year. That will double to an average of 10 million a year over the course of the 21st century unless governments and health agencies take steps to cut consumption. The Help-EU initiative contains numerous tips to convince smokers that "redemption" is possible, besides "ammunition", which could be used by non-smokers to sway smokers their way.

I openly support such an initiative and, as an educator, will openly promote it among my students. The EU can make a difference, even in issues normally deemed as too local for it to intervene directly.

For the dyed-in-the-wool smokers, it's never too late to give your lungs, literally, some breathing space. The usual skewed maxims that "my grandfather smoked for 60 years and he never developed lung cancer" and that "with all this air pollution round, it's useless kicking the habit" should be openly discussed and assessed to ensure that misconceptions are dispelled once and for all.

A corpulent body of scientific evidence backs the anti-smoking movement - such evidence should be watered down and made available to the layman. This is but one of the many laudable objectives of the Help-EU initiative. Visit www.help-eu.com to get to know more about how you can help your friends kick the habit and live a life free from the shackles of tobacco.

Let us remember tobacco remains the only legal consumer product that kills half of its regular users - WHO.

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