Public smoking in Europe looked to be on its last gasp as the European Parliament called for an EU-wide ban on lighting up in the workplace.
"In the European Union alone, at least 650,000 people die each year as a consequence of smoking (and) an estimated 80,000 people die from passive smoking," said a report approved by a massive majority in the parliament, meeting in Strasbourg in France.
"Only a full smoking ban in all enclosed workplaces, including catering and drinking establishments, and all public buildings and transport can protect the health of employees and non-smokers and make it considerably easier for smokers to give up," it added.
The report, which was approved by 561 members of the parliament (MEPs) with 63 votes against and 36 abstentions, called on the EU's executive, the Commission, to draw up a law banning smoking in all enclosed workplaces, public buildings and transport.
They also demanded that the Commission, which is the only EU body allowed to propose laws, designate tobacco as a class-1 carcinogen, analyse the cost of smoking to national health services, and consider setting an EU-wide minimum tax level for tobacco products.
And they called for more rigorous measures to cut down on smoking among young people, with measures such as only permitting vending machines in places to which minors have no access.
The report has no legal power, but the size of the majority backing it and the growing European momentum towards smoking bans give it considerable political weight - a factor likely to influence future Commission proposals.
Measures to cut back on smoking in public have grabbed the headlines ever since EU member Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce a complete ban in March 2004.
Several European states have since followed suit. At present, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom have total or partial bans on public smoking in place.
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