The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The NGO Moldova Health Communication Network (MHCN) has developed the survey to determine the data on Moldova's adult population smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes related to tobacco use, exposure to media messages on smoking and to the environmental tobacco smoke. Robust and recent data on smoking behavior should become a useful tool for the elaboration of amendments to the existing tobacco control legislation and should be used in the long run for the development of a national strategy on tobacco control.

Methods: Staff of the Center of Sociological Research CIVIS interviewed 1106 rural and urban respondents older than 16 years old. The questionnaire was developed by MHCN and consisted of 72 core questions, focusing on five topics:

• Smoking behaviour • Giving up smoking • Smoking at home and in public places • Knowledge of the risks of smoking • Attitudes to tobacco promotion and tobacco control legislation

Results: The prevalence rate of tobacco use among adult population in the Republic of Moldova is alarmingly high - 38% of Moldovans aged 16 to 60 smoke tobacco. There is an urgent need to reduce this rate in order to be able to control the increase of the high morbidity and mortality ratios due to tobacco use. The MHCN suggests to implements the following measures: introduce a ban on smoking in public places, completely ban the advertising of tobacco products, introduce cessation programs and increase tobacco products prices.