Smoking is bad, we’ve known for decades† Yet about one in five Dutch people still smoke. So some numbers in a row. Every year in our country about 20,000 people die from the effects of tobacco. A smoker lives on average five to ten years shorter than a non-smoker. 86 percent of all lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Apart from all kinds of other cancers, smokers also have a high risk of lung disease, cardiovascular disease or stomach ulcers.
So every reason for the government to encourage people to stop. But all the measures taken have not helped for a while† The number of smokers is barely falling. Despite all the warnings on packages. Despite making packages less attractive. Despite the smoking ban in many places. Despite the free stop courses, which without having to pay a deductible, they are reimbursed from the basic insurance.
