More expensive cigarettes Ivan Basso: “As a former cancer patient I say yes”

A strong proposal comes from the “5eurocontroilsmoking” campaign: increase excise duties on cigarettes by 5 euroson all smoking products and nicotine inhalation. Science has now widely established the dangers of smoking to health, but the quantity of people who use cigarettes remains particularly high. In this sense he also exposed himself Ivan Bassotwo-time winner of the Giro d’Italia (2006 and 2010), now a sports director, who supported the “5euroagainstsmoking” campaign promoted by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom), Airc Foundation, Veronesi Foundation and Aiom Foundation: “As an athlete and as a former cancer patient (Basso had testicular cancer in 2015, ed.) I can only help an initiative that I consider really important and which is in everyone’s interest. Smoking is an extremely dangerous behavior and quitting forever means preventing many serious diseases. A cyclist then really knows how important it is to breathe well and protect our respiratory system. In fact, how and how much we breathe is closely linked to sports performance on two wheels”.

Ivan Basso: “We are an example”

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The initiative was launched last January, collecting over 38 thousand signatures, with the goal of reaching 50 thousand and delivering them to Parliament. “We are on the eve of the start of the Giro d’Italia, a major event involving millions of people in our country. We are often taken as an example, especially by younger people and therefore we have great responsibilities. We interact directly and indirectly with many people and we can influence them positively” continued Basso.

The increase in the price of cigarettes

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Basso says again: “Increasing the price of cigarettes is an excellent disincentive, especially for teenagers and young adults. This is what has already happened in other European countries where the increase in the cost of cigarettes has led to a decline in consumption. It was my duty to join this national campaign and I invite all citizens to sign for the popular initiative law which wants to increase the excise duty on all smoking and nicotine inhalation products by 5 euros. The numbers speak clearly: our sporting discipline is growing among women both at the level of amateur and professional athletes. Soon we will achieve gender equality. Furthermore, you find more and more fans at cycling races. It is therefore It is important to launch prevention messages addressed to them too. As is known, once it was almost exclusively men who smoked while in recent years the vice is unfortunately growing even among women.”