Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY) launched telephone line on Monday, June 2, to offer counseling support for smokers who want to quit.
The hotline is the country’s latest effort to reduce the number of smokers in Greece- which still records one of the highest smoking rates among OECD countries., says EODY in a press release.
The helpline can be reached by dialing 1135 and will operate Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 by staffed and trained EODY health professionals.
Commenting on the launch of the hotline, EODY emphasized that “Equal access to smoking cessation support services for all smokers — regardless of socioeconomic status — is a key step in reducing tobacco use and improving public health.”
“This initiative is especially important due to the public health impact of controlling and limiting the consumption of all tobacco products,” the organization noted, adding that it is aligned with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international treaty established in the field of health. It also supports the National Action Plan Against Smoking, which prioritizes helping smokers quit.
EODY stressed that tobacco use remains one of the greatest challenges to public health. Around 20% of the global adult population are smokers of traditional cigarettes, and tobacco is responsible for approximately 8 million deaths per year, including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
Despite a decline in traditional cigarette smoking in recent years, Greece continues to record one of the highest smoking rates among OECD countries. However, the number of people who say they want to quit has grown significantly.
According to data from a 2024 EODY study, 38% of Greek adults use tobacco products. Notably, more than half say they are willing to quit in the future. Yet only 3 in 10 occasional or daily smokers of traditional cigarettes have made a quit attempt in the past 12 months.
