"There is only a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases associated with tobacco, because of new technologies, but cancer is increasing and has gone up from 23% to 25% of smokers", she said.


Ana Maria Figueiredo, who was speaking in advance of a pneumology congress to be held on Thursday and Friday in Viseu, added that there were now more young smokers and the proportion of women was almost the same as men.


She said there should be stricter legislation about smoking, without exceptions, noting that “in countries with more restrictive legislation there are fewer young people starting to smoke".