Hungarian smokers urged to partake in "don't light up" day

Today is "don't light up" day, a national anti-smoking event, reports rtlklub.hu. Organized for the second time by the National Public Health and Medical Officer Service (ÁNTSZ), organizers are asking smokers to resist lighting up for at least a day.

In malls around Hungary, ÁNTSZ representatives are giving out advice on how to successfully quit smoking for good. In Budapest, they can be found at Duna Pláza, together with an exhibition highlighting how much money smokers spend on their addiction, said Éva Péterfia of ÁNTSZ.

Meanwhile, organizers are hoping to bring the costs of treating smoking-related diseases to the attention of decision makers, hoping stricter rules would be applied to smoking. Increasing the price of cigarettes, and decreasing the number of places selling tobacco have met with success abroad.

Each year, 28,000 smokers and 3,000 "passive" smokers die from tobacco-related diseases in Hungary.

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