WHO's Warsaw conference praises Poland for efforts to combat smoking

Director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Gro Harlem Brundtland yesterday praised Poland for its efforts to combat smoking. "Poland has already introduced tobacco-control policies, but other East European countries are lagging behind," Brundtland told the WHO's two-day "Tobacco-free Europe" conference in Warsaw. According to the latest WHO report, on average 38% of men and 23% of women across Europe smoke. But in poorer parts of Central and Eastern Europe the male smoking rate exceeds 50%. Brundtland also called for ridding sport of all forms of tobacco sponsorship, as has already happened in Poland. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 5; Reuters) A.K.