Smoking in Albania

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of current adult smokers (18 years and older) in Albania was 34.9% in 2007, with men having a much higher smoking rate (58.8%) than women (11.5%)[1]. Although the law technically forbids smoking in public spaces like restaurants, bars, and workplaces, some Albanians regularly smoke in those places, especially at night and on weekends [2]. 

Despite the adoption of strong smoke-free policies and advertising restrictions, smoking prevalence in Albania has risen, driven by higher smoking rates among females and young adults[3].

All enclosed public places in Albania are completely smoke-free, and smoking violations consist of fines on the establishment and the patron[1]. However, the smoking ban is generally followed on public transport in Tirana, as people put out cigarettes before boarding buses[2].

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Albania, accounting for 22% of all deaths in the country in 2010 [5]. The proportional mortality attributable to smoking is about 16%[3]. Smoking can cause a range of health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases[5].

both illustration cards in Alb.language are from DBMI project of 2014-2018

Efforts to address smoking in Albania include smoke-free policies, advertising bans, and tobacco taxes. However, smoking prevalence in the country remains high, with one in four adults smoking[5]. Second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke is also high among both children and adults in Albania [5]

Sources:

[1.] https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/librariesprovider2/euro-health-topics/tobacco/tobacco-control-fact-sheet-albania.pdf

[2.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_Albania

[3.] https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/19/6/

[4.] https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/30/Supplement_5/ckaa165.848/5914631

[5.] https://tobacconomics.org/research/smoking-uptake-prevalence-and-cessation-in-albania-fact-sheet/

[6.] https://www.who.int/tobacco/quitting/benefits/en/