Let's be frank. Adolescents are being lured into tobacco addiction. Eight out of ten addicted smokers say they started before the age of 18. We are no longer talking about free choice. We are talking about a violation of children's rights.
Tobacco loads new, expensive and totally avoidable burdens on the health sector.
All of you have to take into consideration a substantial number of the relatively poor, who cannot be left without basic health coverage. It will look at why one country's health system performs better than another. And it will provide a better understanding of success, failure and best practice. The Director-General announced that this autumn she will create a Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, to critically assess the potential of how health investments can serve as a catalyst for poverty reduction. In conclusion, the Director-General noted that Europe has a lot on its plate.