Smoking is undisputedly the greatest challenge for public health. 13,600 people die each year because of tobacco. This is equivalent to 20-25 percent of all deaths in Denmark, making smoking the biggest killer in the country.
About 17 percent of the adult population smoke daily, and every day 40 adolescents start smoking. The potential for making a difference in the area pertaining to smoking is therefore a high priority for the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH). This also applies in Greenland, where over half of the population smoke daily, and where the NIPH, in co-operation with Greenland’s Self-Government, follows all developments.
At the NIPH we investigate the impact of tobacco on public health, we research smoking prevention and cessation and how to reduce social inequalities in smoking.
We also focus specially on children and adolescents, and on how to prevent them from starting smoking. We develop, perform and evaluate interventions aimed at preventing and limiting smoking among schoolchildren and vocational school students.
We also conduct research into structural prevention measures, and our research is used to advise public authorities, among other things.
The NIPH is a member of the Smoke-Free Future partnership, established by the Danish Cancer Society and TrygFonden.