Health at a Glance: Europe 2016
State of Health in the EU Cycle

This fourth edition of Health at a Glance: Europe presents key indicators of health and health systems in the 28 EU countries, 5 candidate countries to the EU and 3 EFTA countries. This 2016 edition contains two main new features: two thematic chapters analyse the links between population health and labour market outcomes, and the important challenge of strengthening primary care systems in European countries; and a new chapter on the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of health systems in Europe, in order to align the content of this publication more closely with the 2014 European Commission Communication on effective, accessible and resilient health systems. This publication is the result of a renewed collaboration between the OECD and the European Commission under the broader "State of Health in the EU" initiative, designed to support EU member states in their evidence-based policy making.
Smoking among adults
Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health risk in the European Union and is the most significant cause of premature death, with nearly 700 000 per year (European Commission, 2014a). Around 50% of smokers die prematurely (14 years earlier on average). It is a major risk factor for at least two of the leading causes of premature mortality – circulatory disease and cancer – increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer. Smoking is also an important contributory factor for respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while smoking among pregnant women can lead to low birth weight and illnesses among infants.
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