A series of surveys has uncovered concerning trends regarding Greece’s health, among the most alarming being its high number of chain smokers which saw the country listed at the top of a study on EU nations.
A cross-national survey conducted by the European Social Survey (ESS) across Europe has found Greece listed at the top of a comparative study featuring 24 countries in terms of smoking habits, To Vima reported.
The survey, which is carried out biannually, involves face-to-face interviews of newly selected, cross-sectional samples, and the latest addition found that nearly one in three Greeks (29.5 per cent) smoke more than 10 cigarettes per day—the highest rate among the countries surveyed.
Roughly 40 per cent of the Greek population are smokers (either occasionally or regularly), with men listed at a smoking rate of 46.8 per cent and women at 33.8 per cent.
On the opposite end of the survey is Sweden, which reported the lowest smoking rate with just 1.5 per cent of respondents identifying as smokers.
These findings highlight a significant public health concern for Greece, particularly in comparison to other European nations, which stretches to other areas such as alcohol consumption.
A recent study found Greece is second (behind only Ireland) in binge drinking, which is defined as consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period.
The statistics reveal it is at a higher rate among men, with 9.1 per cent engaging in binge drinking daily and 41.1 per cent weekly, while the rates are 2.4 per cent and 27 per cent among women, respectively.
The phenomenon of binge drinking is seen at its highest among young people aged 15-29, with nearly 47.5 per cent reporting excessive alcohol consumption, though the highest daily alcohol consumption is seen in individuals aged 70 and older.
Another major concern that has been spotlighted in a study is the low consumption of vegetables.
Greece ranks last among surveyed countries in eating vegetables three or more times a day, with just 1.3 per cent of respondents claiming frequent daily consumption.
This contrasts with countries in Northern and Central Europe, such as the United Kingdom (13.1 per cent) and Ireland (8.8 per cent), which report significantly higher rates of regular vegetable consumption.
All these findings highlight some growing concerns about Greece’s health habits, suggesting it may be an area that requires more attention.
