Country
Belgium
Belgium has made progress on tobacco control in recent years. However, people continue to die and become sick needlessly, and the costs to society from tobacco use continue to mount. Belgium can still do more to make the proven tobacco control tools work for its citizens’ wellbeing.
Issues
Tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of Belgium. Every year, more than 18700 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused disease. Still, more than 13000 children (10-14 years old) and 1794000 adults (15+ years old) continue to use tobacco each day. Complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic insulates the tobacco industry in Belgium and ensures that tobacco's death toll will grow every year. Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities and resources to strengthen their efforts and create change.
Smoking Deaths
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
using tobacco daily: 2015
21.6%
Even though fewer men smoke on average in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries, there are still more than 996100 men who smoke cigarettes each day, making it an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Children Smoking(10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
2.03%
Even though fewer boys smoke in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries, there are still more than 6200 boys who smoke cigarettes each day, making it an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
23.71%
More men die in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
16.4%
More women smoke in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Children Smoking (10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
2.48%
More girls smoke in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
9.61%
More women die in Belgium than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Smokeless Tobacco
% using tobacco daily: 2013
n/a
n/a
Societal Harms
The economic cost of smoking in Belgium amounts to 9600 million euro. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity due to early mortality and morbidity.
Tobacco Use Also...
Harms Development
Buying tobacco robs families of the resources they may need to rise out of poverty. A smoker in Belgium would have to spend 3.05% of their average income (measured by per capita GDP) to purchase 10 of the most popular cigarettes to smoke daily each year!
Harms Development
Harms Environment
Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded pieces of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 10834 tonnes of butts and packs wind up as toxic trash in Belgium each year. This is roughly equivalent to the weight of 2167 endangered African elephants.
Harms Environment
Harms Equality
To appeal to more customers, the tobacco industry markets its products aggressively to women and children.
Harms Equality
Harms NCDs
People living with mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke as other individuals.
Harms NCDs
Industry
The combined revenues of the world's 6 largest tobacco companies in 2016 was more than USD 346 Billion, which is equal to 75% of the Gross National Income of Belgium. The industry is a powerful force that does not fear the actions of smaller nation-states because of their extensive resources and global market power. Larger economies and nations have the opportunity to help the smaller allies face down this threat.
Growing
There were less than 1000 metric tons of tobacco produced in Belgium in 2014. Tobacco growing is only a small fraction of agriculture in Belgium, with only less than 0.01% of agricultural land devoted to tobacco cultivation.
Production
Cigarette imports exceeded cigarette exports in Belgium in 2016, which hurt the country's trade balance.
Solutions
Current Policy in Belgium
Protect from Smoke
All public places completely smoke-free is the best practice
Smokefree
n/a
HealthCare Facilities
n/a
Educational Facilities
n/a
Universities
n/a
Government Facilities
n/a
Indoor Offices
n/a
Restaurants
n/a
Pubs and Bars
n/a
Public Transport
n/a
All Other Indoor Public Places
n/a
Funds for Smokefree Enforcement
Offer Help
National quit line and both NRT and cessation-services cost-covered is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to Tobacco Users on Product Packaging
A plain, standardized pack with a large health warning is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to the Whole Population in a Media Campaign
Enforce Bans on Advertising
Ban on all forms of direct and indirect advertising is the best practice
Number of Direct Ad Bans
5/7
possible bans
Number of Indirect Ad Bans
4/10
possible bans
Ad Ban Compliance Percent
High
Direct Bans
- National TV and radio
- International TV and radio
- Local magazines and newspapers
- International magazines and newspapers
- Billboard and outdoor advertising
- Advertising at point of sale
- Advertising on internet
Indirect Bans
- Free distribution in mail or through other means
- Promotional discounts
- Non-tobacco products identified with tobacco brand names
- Brand name of non-tobacco products used for tobacco product
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco brands (product placement)
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco products
- Prescribed anti-tobacco ads required for any visual entertainment media product that depicts tobacco products, use or images
- Complete ban on sponsorship
- Any form of contribution (financial or other support) to any event, activity or individual
- Ban on the publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry of events, activities, individuals
Raise Taxes
Excise Tax as a % of Cigarette Price
WHO Benchmark
Minimum 70%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
Belgium
59.62%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
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