A majority of European Union health ministers on Tuesday signalled their support for extending smoke-free areas to reduce cancer deaths.

Germany, which is among the EU members with the weakest smoking restrictions, abstained from the vote in Brussels on the non-binding recommendations.

The new guidelines aim to restrict smoking in public areas where children or other vulnerable people gather outdoors, like playgrounds, amusement parks, public swimming pools, restaurant terraces and public transport.

The recommendations also target emerging tobacco products, like electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, to deter young people from smoking.

EU press release said reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols would mean better protection for non-smokers.

The European Commission had proposed the overhaul of the current guidelines from 2009 as every year, around 700,000 people in the EU lose their lives due to tobacco consumption, the new EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said ahead of the vote.

“It is the largest avoidable health risk in the EU,” Mr Varhelyi stressed.

According to EU figures, a quarter of cancer deaths in the EU, Iceland and Norway can be attributed to smoking, making tobacco the leading cancer risk.

Health policy is a competence of EU member states, meaning that the new recommendations are non-binding, and capitals are free to implement them.

German Health Secretary Thomas Steffen said he abstained from the vote, despite supporting the stricter guidelines, after the 16 German states responsible for legislation on the smoking restrictions had spoken out against them.

(dpa/NAN)