Filenews 5 February 2022
The lowest rate of preventable mortality among EU Member States was recorded by Cyprus in 2018, according to the country's Health Profile in 2021. Results suggesting that there is room for a reduction in preventable deaths through more effective public health interventions.
Lung cancer remains the main cause of preventable mortality, which goes hand in hand with high smoking rates, especially among Cypriot men.
As stated in the Report, the Cypriot government banned smoking in enclosed public places (including bars, cafes and restaurants) in 2017 and high fines are foreseen for owners and smokers who break the law. However, the ban only applies to fully enclosed indoor spaces, which leaves room for circumvention of it.
In recent years, measures have also been introduced to reduce other cases of preventable deaths, while in order to reduce the number of road deaths, campaigns have been organised to use seat belts and child seats in cars and helmets in motorcyclists, as well as to combat drunk driving.
