[Intl-tobacco] Italy: 10% stop smoking

[robert weissman]

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200505301519-1124-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

SMOKING: POLLS AND PHARMACISTS CONFIRM, 10 PCT STOP SMOKING
(AGI) - Milan, May 30 - Since the entrance into effect of the
anti-smoking decree on 10 January, ever more Italians have stopped
smoking. This has been confirmed by a survey of 200 pharmacists on the
occasion of the latest Cosmofarma congress. 77 pct spoke of an increase
in the sale of anti-nicotine products of 10-30 pct, while another 22.5
pct recorded an increase of between 30 and 60 pct. The most advised
products are 16 hour patches (70.5 pct), and gum (23.2 pct). This result
has been emphasised by a 'Nicorette Institute' survey according to which
one in ten smokers have stopped after the ban, while 6.6 pct smoke one
or two packets a week less. And if 12 pct have noticed no change, 16.9
pct of smokers feel like, "a species on the way to extinction", 54 pct
say they go more happily to bars and restaurants. As for "reserved
areas", more than one person called them a "utopia" in that they had
never seen one, while another 28.2 pct called them new ghettos and as
many saw them as "authorised gas chambers". However, 12.6 pct while
smoking outside met an interesting boy or girl; or 16.1 pct, taking
advantage of a cigarette break at work have come to know a colleague
they had been eying for some time... It has been a real tragedy for that
53.2 pct who have found themselves slaves to cigarettes, with 16.3 pct
calling it a source of stress and 15.9 pct who experience it as a
"forbidden pleasure". Even though, to tell there truth there 23.9 pct of
hardcore smokers who consider it "a pleasure to enjoy even more." But
counting more than everyone is that 41.6 pct who see the new law as an
opportunity to stop smoking. (AGI) .
301519 MAG 05