Research and Prevention Perspectives on Smoking in Romania

Smoking reduces the lifetime and is responsible for the death of ten thousand persons daily. In spite of the harmful effects of tobacco use, in Europe the number of smoked cigarettes is about two thousand cigarettes per year per person, while the smoking-related statistics are unfavourable in women and children. The high prevalence of active and secondhand smoking in Romania, the high number of daily smoked cigarettes, the increasing percentage of cessation attempts with a limited success stresses the importance of tobacco research, preventive activities and cessation interventions. Davidson College (USA) and University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Tîrgu-Mureş have just launched a five-year common project in order to study tobacco concerns specific to Romania and to build the local capacity for tobacco research in Romania.