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Commission calls for more bans to protect public health

Published 29.07.08   13:38 

The Ministry of Health's prevention commission wants tougher bans and higher taxes to protect the public's health The Ministry of Health's prevention commission was formed with the task of investigating how the average Danish life span could be extended by...

With an average life expectancy of 79 years, Danish women lag behind their peers in other Western countries. Comparative figures from the State Institute for Public Health show that Denmark lies in 20th position.

The institute wants to introduce measures that will cut the number of so-called lifestyle illnesses brought about by smoking, drinking, bad diet and too little exercise. These account for around 40 percent of all illnesses and early deaths in Denmark.

The commission told Berlingske Tidende newspaper that it would like to see a total ban on smoking in sports clubs and schools. It also wants the government to levy a higher tax on cigarettes and only make them available for purchase in certain outlets, such as pharmacies.

It recommends that the government introduce further bans and restrictions, which will extend the lifespan of Danes.

'Experience from many countries shows us that these measures work quickly and effectively and can bring about a drop in heart-related diseases, for example. Danish politicians have always been worried about how far they can go with relation to the population, even though everything indicated that people would soon be happy with this kind of initiative,' said the commission's chairperson Mette Weir.

The Liberal Party spokesperson Brigitte Josefsen said that they were open to tightening the current smoking ban, but were not sure of the concrete proposals put forward by the commission.

'We cannot remove personal responsibility totally,' Josefsen said.

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The Copenhagen Post