Ten percent of primary school students smoke cigarettes

According to data from the Montenegrin Cancer Society (CDPR), over 50.000 residents of Podgorica consume tobacco products.

In elementary schools, according to CDPR data, ten percent of students smoke, while 30 percent of minors are of high school age who have this type of vice.

Since the beginning of the year, the market inspection has found 54 irregularities in Podgorica, of which in 48 cases the prescribed ban on the sale of tobacco products to minors was not highlighted.

CDPR Secretary Domagoj Žarković said that this is a large number of smokers, which is why we are unfortunately still at the top, both in Montenegro and in the region...

"Men are in the lead compared to women. "Over 50.000 residents of the capital smoke, which is a lot, but it is less than ten years ago when 50 percent of adult citizens were smokers," Žarković told "Vijesti".

He hopes that smoking in Podgorica will soon be reduced to some European limits, which is about 30 percent of adult citizens.

"If we divide minors into two groups, elementary school and high school students, I can say that recently an increased number of users of tobacco products has been noticed in both categories. It is very difficult to talk about the number of smokers among them, but the difference in the number of smokers is large in favor of high school students, because about ten percent of minors smoke in elementary school," Žarković points out.

He emphasized that this is not a small percentage, if we take into account that these are children up to the age of fifteen.

Žarković believes that the ban on the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 is not respected as it should be.

"CDPR printed a large number of stickers 'No sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age' and distributed them to those involved in the distribution and sale of tobacco products. I really don't know how much we managed to reduce the number of minors who buy cigarettes in this way, but I hope that, nevertheless, the sticker has a preventive effect, which is its purpose in addition to promotion and compliance with the aforementioned law", said Žarković.