{"id":907,"date":"2024-03-25T14:32:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T13:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/?p=907"},"modified":"2024-07-09T16:13:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T14:13:43","slug":"check-your-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/2024\/03\/25\/check-your-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Check your facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2190 home page<\/a><\/span> \u2022 Buzz@Bruss! Edition #2<\/span> \u2022 Check your facts<\/strong><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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In our previous edition \u2192<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0we discussed that sound and inclusive public consultations are key to good governance and evidence-based policies.<\/p>

After all, as recently as December 2023, the European Council adopted conclusions \u2192<\/a><\/span><\/strong> on the \u201cStrengthening the role and impact of research and innovation in the policymaking process in the Union\u201d mentioning evidence-based policymaking no less than seven times.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In February 2024, the think tank network Epicenter released a study \u2192<\/a><\/span><\/strong> highlighting European policymaker challenges to this approach \u2013 the essential basis for understanding problems and the identification of effective solutions \u2013 despite them often claiming to pursue the highest standards of evidence-based policymaking.<\/p>

In this context, the European Parliament adopted a so-called own initiative report \u2192<\/a> <\/span><\/strong>(a political resolution rather than a legislative text) on non-communicable diseases in December 2023.<\/p>

As far as tobacco policies are concerned, the report highlights among other issues that 60% of children are exposed to second-hand smoke at home, which could lead to severe illnesses. As no source is referenced for such a claim, we can only assume that this must refer to some recent EU-wide statistics. However, with less than 20% of the EU population smoking, it does not seem to be a very evidence-based number.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlobal Youth Tobacco Survey<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

Exposure to secondhand smoke at home (SHS) in the WHO Europe region, ages 13-15 <\/strong><\/p>

According to WHO data \u2192<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, in some countries of the WHO European Region, \u201cup to 60% of children\u201d<\/em><\/strong> are exposed to SHS at home, making it a significant public health concern.<\/p>

Without providing a source for their claim, the European Parliament\u2019s resolution \u2192<\/span><\/strong><\/a> on non-communicable diseases also states that \u201c60% of children are exposed to second-hand smoke\u201d <\/em><\/strong>at home. One can only assume that, given the similarity of the wording, they are referring to the WHO data.<\/p>

The WHO claim can be considered, at best, misleading given the numbers from existing WHO surveys. But the statement in the EP resolution, however, is factually wrong when it states that 60% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke.<\/p>

To date, 34 countries have conducted the relevant survey providing, in many cases, outdated data. And 19 countries (including 11 EU member states) have not conducted the survey at all.<\/p>

The chart below indicates that, while two countries show the numbers of their children exposed to second-hand smoke at above 60%, only four others can claim to have figures at or approaching that figure (between 50-60%). This clearly contradicts the wording of the European Parliament\u2019s resolution.<\/p>

Global Youth Tobacco Survey \u2192<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Countries with GYTS data \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Countries with no survey data <\/strong><\/p>

(last available data)<\/strong><\/p>

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Albania (2020, 29,8%)<\/p><\/td>

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Andorra<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Armenia (2009, 70%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Austria<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Azerbaijan (2016, 28,8%)<\/p><\/td>

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Belgium<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bosnia and Herzegovina (2019, 59,9%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Denmark<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bulgaria (2015, 50,8%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 France<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Croatia (2016, 60,1%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Germany<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cyprus (2011, 81,4%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iceland<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Czechia (2016, 35%)<\/p><\/td>

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ireland<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Estonia (2007, 41,1%)<\/p><\/td>

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Israel<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

10.\u00a0 Finland (2012, 5,8%)<\/p><\/td>

10.\u00a0 Luxembourg<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

11.\u00a0 Georgia (2017, 43,2%)<\/p><\/td>

11.\u00a0 Malta<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

12.\u00a0 Greece (2013, 56,7%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

12.\u00a0 Monaco<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

13.\u00a0 Hungary (2008, 43%)<\/p><\/td>

13.\u00a0 Netherlands<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

14.\u00a0 Italy (2010, 48,5%)<\/p><\/td>

14.\u00a0 Norway<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

15.\u00a0 Kazakhstan (2014, 18,2%)<\/p><\/td>

15.\u00a0 Spain<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

16.\u00a0 Kosovo (2016, 47,8%)<\/p><\/td>

16.\u00a0 Sweden<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

17.\u00a0 Kyrgyzstan (2019, 16,8%)<\/p><\/td>

17.\u00a0 Switzerland<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

18.\u00a0 Latvia (2019, 33,8%)<\/p><\/td>

18.\u00a0 UK<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

19.\u00a0 Lithuania (2018, 42,8%)<\/p><\/td>

19.\u00a0 Uzbekistan<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

20.\u00a0 Montenegro (2018, 49%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

21.\u00a0 North Macedonia (2016, 46,2%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

22.\u00a0 Poland (2016, 40,7%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

23.\u00a0 Portugal (2013, 39,6%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

24.\u00a0 Moldova (2019, 28,3%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

25.\u00a0 Romania (2017, 35,9%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

26.\u00a0 Russia (2021, 23,1%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

27.\u00a0 San Marino (2022, 38,9%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

28.\u00a0 Serbia (2017, 58,9%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

29.\u00a0 Slovakia (2016, 38,3%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

30.\u00a0 Slovenia (2017, 28,9%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

31.\u00a0 Tajikistan (2019, 4,8%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

32.\u00a0 Turkey (2017, 46,1%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

33.\u00a0 Turkmenistan (2015, 0,3%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>

34.\u00a0 Ukraine (2017, 20,5%)<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t