Klima Bez Dima Magazine

Klima Bez Dima
Initiative Highlights

04 Events
28
Multimedia
Contest
05
09
14
20
Mostar’s Youth Take a Stand Against
Banja Luka Spoke: Let Us Breathe with
Clean Lungs
We Must Protect Those Most Vulnerable
to Second-hand Smoke
Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of
Smoking: Are Excise on Tobacco Taxes
2 Klima
CONTE
Bez Dima

Journalistic
Publications
41
56
Women
Influencers
23
Smoke Surrounds Us Wherever We
Go. We Demand a Solution!!!
36
25
Sport and Unity: “Two Cities, One
38
Dream”
30
Mirela Biković, 1st Place
42
31
Nikola Kandić, 3rd Place
46
32
Nedžad Spahalić, 2nd Place
50
34
Zerina Bekoli, Honorable Mention
53
35 Kristina Rendić, Honorable Mention
Nejra Džananović, Honorable Mention
Mirnes Bakija, Honorable Mention
Open Fun Football Schools in Bosnia
and Herzegovina
Exposing Children to Tobacco Smoke
is Unacceptable
A Ban On Smoking as a Means to Attract
More Tourists
Smoking and Women’s Health: The
Disproportionate Effects Among the
Sexes
NT
Initiative Highlights
3

4 Klima
Bez DimaEVENTS

MOSTAR’S YOUTH
TAKE A STAND
AGAINST TOBACCO
SMOKE
By Marko Mlikota
Initiative Highlights
5

January 31st marks No Tobacco Day.
Launched in 1982 as a way to alert the
public to the harmful effects of tobacco
smoke, this day is now celebrated
across the region. This year, activists
from the “Klima Bez Dima” (“Environment Without
Smoke”) initiative decided to organize an action
in Mostar to commemorate the occasion.
A creative and interactive video presentation titled
“A Life in Smoke – Save Me!” was presented
at Mostar’s Mepas Mall. As part of the presentation,
the people of Mostar could press a button
that stood in front of a smoke-filled screen to
grant clean air to the person behind the smoke
and symbolically save a life.
Organizers of the Klima Bez Dima event, together
with young people from the Mostar Gymnasium
and the Dance Club “Stars”, and with the support
of the Public Health Institute of the Federation of
BiH, celebrated life and pointed out the necessity
of protecting citizens from exposure to secondhand
smoke.
This event was part of a series of actions organized
in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Mostar that
aimed to collect 10,000 signatures of support
as well as to send a message to decision makers
in the legislative bodies of both the Republika
Srpska (RS) and Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (FBiH) entities to work on adopting
and implementing legal solutions that will better
regulate issues related to tobacco control.
Dr. Davor Pehar, Director of the Public Health Institute
of FBiH, states that smoking is the most
widespread addiction in the Federation. He says
that more than 11,000 deaths per year can be
linked to diseases that are directly related to
smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.
“We hope to encourage the adoption of a tobacco
control law that can support an environment
where smoking in all public spaces is prohibited,
which would reduce the harmful impact of second-hand
smoke on our health,” Pehar adds.
Mostar youth came to show their support for Klima Bez Dima.
Mostar high school teacher, Valentina Planinić,
states that since a law has not been devised to
forbid indoor smoking, there is a smokers’ room
in her school where teachers can smoke.
“It is very hard to educate children about the
dangers of smoking if their educators smoke and
they see them doing it every day. The adoption
of such a law would make educational activities
easier. It would be easier to tell students that
smoking isn’t healthy; that it is very harmful and
that they don’t have the right to endanger others’
health. A smoker not only jeopardizes themselves
but also those around them,” she explains.
Nela Azinović, a student from Mostar, says she
is exposed to tobacco smoke on a daily basis
as most of her friends and family members are
smokers.
“I often advise people to stop smoking, but that
rarely works. As a former student of medicine, I
am more familiar with this problem and with the
harmful effects of it, and I am very concerned
6 Klima
Bez Dima

for the people around me as well as for myself,”
Nela adds, emphasizing that she will be supporting
the Klima Bez Dima initiative because she believes
it can bring about positive and significant
changes for future generations.
Matea Perić, a high school teacher, is also exposed
to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke
on a daily basis.
“When I think about it, I realize that the problem
is a major health threat for the population
in general. Everyone is so accustomed to being
exposed to smoke that it simply ceases to be a
cause for concern. I, therefore, support this initiative
and consider the prohibition of smoking in
public places necessary. This would likely reduce
the number of smokers because they would have
limited opportunities to smoke and there would
be far fewer places where cigarettes would be allowed,”
she says.
Luka Miloš from Mostar is in a similar situation.
Although he is a non-smoker, he is still constantly
exposed to tobacco smoke.
“I’m terribly bothered by this because, first and
foremost, it’s not a pleasant smell and, secondly,
because I often have difficulties breathing due to
my health problems.”
The Klima Bez Dima campaign is a continuation
of efforts designed to raise citizens’ awareness
of the harmful effects of smoking and the consequences
of exposure to second-hand smoke. Everyone,
including children, pregnant women, and
elderly people, is constantly exposed to secondhand
smoke in all public spaces across BiH.
The percentage of tobacco-related mortality in
BiH is among the highest in the world. According
to the World Bank in BiH, more than 9,000
people in BiH die each year from smoking-related
illnesses. The campaign’s initiators point out
that a complete ban on smoking in indoor public
spaces is the only way to protect people from exposure
to tobacco smoke.
Student Marija Sučić explains that, as a nonsmoker,
she is affected by her exposure to smokers
everywhere she goes; from her own home to
public areas such as parks and promenades to
catering facilities.
Special performance by dancers from the “Stars” Dance Club.
Photos: Media Publikum Agency
Initiative Highlights
7

“Tobacco smoke is harmful, especially for young
people and children. I, thus, believe that smokers
should respect other people’s right to breathe
clean air and should not trap them in a room
where the smoke is so thick it resembles fog,”
she says.
Marija also thinks that institutions have a responsibility
to educate youth about the negative
aspects of a smoker’s life.
Student Stjepan Nižić sees smoking as a significant
problem and says that he doesn’t feel relaxed
when in the company of smokers.
“I think this situation presents a problem for the
health of the environment and for the health of
the smokers themselves. The number of young
people who smoke is steadily increasing, despite
the fact that we often see how harmful cigarettes
are and how negatively they can affect our
health, and this worries me,” he explains.
Student Ante Bagarić also views smoking as a
threat to health and the environment. He fully
supports any initiative to implement better laws
in this area.
“I’ve been to countries where smoking in public
places is prohibited and I would personally
like such laws implemented in BiH because they
would improve the quality of health here. I absolutely
support the Klima Bez Dima initiative and
I will definitely sign the pledge to support their
actions. We really need these kinds of initiatives
to bring about lasting changes that will benefit
our society in the long-term,” he concludes.
8 Klima
Bez Dima
Photo: Marko Milikota

Banja Luka Speaks Out:
Let Us Breathe with
Clear Lungs
Tobacco came to Europe in the 16th century. In the beginning, only members of the
upper class – predominantly males – had access to it. Nowadays, however, it is available
across the globe and is easily accessible to anyone and everyone.
By Andrea Aleksić
Students from Banja Luka University’s Faculty of Medicine.
T
obacco is one of the primary
ingredients in a cigarette,
which also contains tar and seven
thousand other substances
that are harmful to humans and
the environment. The victims of
tobacco smoke’s harmful effects
are not just the smokers, but the
people around them who inhale
the smoke coming from the cigarette
as well as the smoke that
is exhaled out of the smokers’
mouth.
The negative impact that cigarettes
have on human health
was noticed since the early 20th
century, however, there are still
many countries around the world
that have yet to take any measure
to reduce people’s exposure
to air that is contaminated with
tobacco smoke. One of those
countries is Bosnia and Herzegovina
(BiH). Unlike developed
European countries or the United
States, smoking in public, indoor
spaces is still permitted in BiH.
Such conditions directly endanger
both the smokers as well as
the non-smokers who have no
other option but to inhale contaminated
air.
Initiative Highlights
9

In an effort to change this country’s current
situation and make our environment healthier,
an initiative called “Klima Bez Dima” was
launched. As part of this initiative, a series
of educational and informational events have
been organized across the country. One such
event was held on January 31st, or No Tobacco
Day, in Banja Luka. The event, titled
“A Life in Smoke: Save Me!” was attended by
students from the Medical University of Banja
Luka, young singers from the MaMa Vox Music
School, and Banja Luka citizens who, alongside
the event’s organizers, shared their opinions
on this important topic.
“Unfortunately, I am constantly exposed to
tobacco smoke. I am not a smoker. I do not
smoke, and my husband stopped smoking four
years ago at the behest of me and our daughter,
so we’ve helped him. In the interest of our
children, I would really love to see this initiative
grow,” says Mirjana (43) from Banja Luka.
Zoran (51), another concerned parent, agrees:
“Most of the parents support this initiative and
I believe it will be successful.”
Nataša (37), an attendee of the event, explains:
“The thing that bothers me the most
is the smoke in public places, especially in the
shopping malls where there are no smoke-free
areas you can take your children to avoid exposure.
Unfortunately, our children are constantly
exposed to contaminated air and there
is no way for us to protect them. I sincerely
hope this initiative will catch on. I will be giving
my support and I really hope others will also.”
The greatest concern regarding this issue was
shown by parents who, even if they are not
cigarette or tobacco product consumers, are
unable to prevent their children’s exposure to
second-hand smoke. Young people typically
grow accustomed to the smoke and, thus, do
not give the issue too much significance.
Srđan (24) says: “I’ve been to countries where
smoking in public places is prohibited. Here, it
doesn’t bother me because pretty much everyone
around me smokes, but it’s undeniable
that this has a bad influence on our health.
This is why I support the initiative to reduce
tobacco smoke in public places.”
”
In the interest
of our children,
I would really
love to see this
initiative grow.
– Mirjana (43), Banja Luka
10
Klima Bez Dima

We asked student of medicine, Tatjana Grabovac,
for her professional opinion about the
health impact of smoking and exposure to second-hand
smoke. She responded: “Tobacco
smoke is extremely harmful and leads to an increase
in cancer cases, especially lung cancer.
In addition to cancer, smoking and exposure to
tobacco smoke can negatively affect other organs
and systems of the body, which can lead
to a variety of health issues such as cardiovascular
disease, impotence in men, pregnancy
complications in woman, and even blindness.”
Tatjana explains that, although nobody in her
immediate company smokes, she is still constantly
surrounded by tobacco smoke when
she goes out to clubs or coffee places with her
friends. “We need to draw attention to the fact
that you unwillingly become a passive smoker
as a result of continued and prolonged exposure
to second-hand smoke, which increases
your risk of illness. Klima Bez Dima and similar
initiatives incorporate an educational component
that aims to get people to start thinking
more deeply about their life decisions as well
as to motivate them to make the ultimate decision
to quit smoking.”
Smoking is an addiction that has plagued our
society for over five centuries. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), more than
5 million people die worldwide each year as a
direct consequence of active smoking, while an
additional 500 thousand deaths can be directly
linked to the effects associated with exposure
to second-hand smoke. Tobacco kills more
people than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria
combined, and, according to estimates,
if appropriate measures are not taken in time,
more than 1 billion people will die of tobaccorelated
illnesses over the course of the 21st
century.
Tatjana says that smoking should be viewed as
“one of the risk factors that we ourselves can
prevent, thus reducing the likelihood of cancer
and other related illnesses. We control the
strings, and we all deserve a long and healthy
life.”
Special performance by young singers from the MAMA VOX Music School.
Photos: Media Publikum Agency
Initiative Highlights
11

MIA DEDOVIĆ
12
Klima Bez Dima

(17), Goražde
Klima Bez Dima Multimedia Contest submission
Initiative Highlights
13

WE MUST PROTECT
THOSE MOST
VULNERABLE TO
SECOND-HAND
SMOKE
By Armin Halilović
No Tobacco Day was celebrated in cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with the interactive
multimedia exhibition and artistic performance series called “A Life in Smoke – Save Me!”
organized by members of the “Klima Bez Dima” (“Environment Without Smoke”) initiative.
A
14
s part of Klima Bez Dima’s
No Tobacco Day activities
in Sarajevo, the Athletic Club
“Atleta” from Novi Grad Sarajevo
held an event called “A Race
for the Lives of Young Champions”
while young martial artists
from Karate Club “Perfekt” Sarajevo
delivered an artistic performance
during which they utilized
their craft to symbolically
disperse the dark clouds of tobacco
smoke the envelop much
of Sarajevo’s public spaces.
32-year-old Amel Kapo, the
founder of the first and only
swimming club in BiH for people
with disabilities “Spid”, says
Klima Bez Dima
that he supports the Klima Bez
Dima campaign and initiative.
“First off, my entire family and I
are non-smokers and it definitely
bothers me when I go into an
enclosed area that is filled with
smoke. When we get home afterward,
we literally have to take
off all of our clothes because
they stink of tobacco. If one of
our goals is European Union integration,
then we need to have
and enforce non-smoking regulations.
One of our club’s sayings
is “We are all equal in water,”
so why not be equal on dry
land too?” says Kapo.
Tomislav Cvitanušić from the association
“Maraton” in Sarajevo
notes that health is an integral
part of maintaining a stable
society, and, although a societal
shift towards embracing a
healthier lifestyle is a long-term
process, he believes that initiatives
such as Klima Bez Dima
play a crucial role in moving BiH
forward down this path.
“We are falling behind when
compared to other countries in
our region and in Europe. This
is why it’s even more important
for us to implement such regulations
at an accelerated pace,”
Cvitanušić asserts.

Initiative Highlights
15

A youth member of the Athletic Club “Atleta” from Novi
Grad Sarajevo performs a long jump.
The informal coalition “Partnership for a
Smoke-free BiH” saw No Tobacco Day 2019
as an opportunity to appeal to all levels of
BiH government to fulfill their obligations
and ensure the respect and protection of
the human rights to life and a healthy environment.
The coalition, which is comprised
of forty member organizations, is demanding
the immediate adoption of a new legal
framework that falls in line with the World
Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control.
An insistence on the adoption of tobacco
control legislation that will improve the
overall health of the population was emphasized
throughout the day’s promotion of the
Klima Bez Dima campaign and BiH is obliged
to comply with the ratified Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control.
Director of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy
in BiH, Barbara Dätwyler Scheuer, says
that everyone is aware that smoking is allowed
in most public places in BiH, but that
many citizens and decision makers are still
unaware of the harmful effects of exposure
to tobacco smoke and that children are often
the first victims.
“We are joining a call for public action to
”
Let’s protect the children,
the pregnant women, the
elderly, the non-smokers
and all others who choose
to live a life free of tobacco
smoke.
– Barbara Dätwyler Scheuer, Director
of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in
BiH
save lives and ban smoking in public places.
Let’s protect the children, the pregnant
women, the elderly, the non-smokers and all
others who choose to live a life free of tobacco
smoke,” she said.
Professor Aida Ramić Čatak spoke about the
negative health effects of tobacco smoke,
stating that passive and involuntary smoking
involves more people than just those
who are active smokers. Active smokers exhale
three-quarters of their tobacco smoke
into the surrounding environment, thus endangering
all those around them.
Students from the Medical High School Sarajevo come to show
their support for a smoke-free environment.
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Klima Bez Dima

Special performance by young martial artists from Karate Club “Perfekt” Sarajevo.
The Professor reminds us that anyone who
is staying in a room with other smokers
has the same chance of getting sick from a
smoking-related illness as if they were an
active smoker themselves. Children, newborns,
pregnant women, and patients suffering
from chronic illnesses are particularly
vulnerable under these conditions.
He adds that about 9,000 people die each
year from tobacco-related diseases in BiH
and another 900 die as a result of exposure
to tobacco smoke.
“The average family spends more than
2,000 BAM on cigarettes annually, which is
a lot of money,” concludes Rigolini.
In her opinion, the adoption of legislation is
only one link in the chain, but it is a necessary
link to enforce regulations under which
no one can use their addition to justify the
right to endanger the health of others.
Jamele Rigolini, a Lead Economist and Program
Leader for Human Development and
Poverty for the World Bank, believes that
smoking affects not only health but all aspects
of life, including economics. He states
that the financial costs of tobacco products
in BiH amount to around 900 million BAM
annually, which includes the direct and indirect
costs of the healthcare sector.
Director of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in BiH, Barbara
Dätwyler Scheuer (left), and Lead Economist and Program
Leader for Human Development and Poverty for the World
Bank, Jamele Rigolini (right).
Photos: Diego Diaz Tellez
Initiative Highlights
17

18
Klima Bez Dima

Klima Bez Dima was proud to support the smoke-free
charity concert “Positive Vibrations”, which was organized
to contribute to the development of Srebrenica’s music
and art scene. The event was proof that indoor public
smoking is not a prerequisite for a good party!
Photos: Diego Diaz Tellez Initiative Highlights 19

Mitigating the Adverse
Are Excise Taxes on To
Every year more than 8,600 people in Bosnia
and Herzegovina (BiH) die from tobacco-induced
diseases. According to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, tobacco consumption
contributes to a number of health-related diseases
such as cancer, respiratory problems, and
cardiovascular diseases, and evidence shows that
there is also a causal relationship between second-hand
smoking and cardiovascular diseases.
Tobacco’s death toll continues to rise in BiH each
year, while the tobacco industry remains insulated
and the tobacco epidemic rages on with more
than 2,000 children (ages 10-14) and 1,053,000
adults (ages 15+) using tobacco on a daily basis
(The Tobacco Atlas, 2019).
The World Bank Group published a report in February
2019 titled “Time to Quit: The Tobacco Tax
Increase and Household Welfare in Bosnia and
Herzegovina”. The study, which was recently presented
in Sarajevo, is part of a set of assessments
that the World Bank has conducted in countries
across the world. What makes this study unique,
is that it is the first of its kind to be conducted in
BiH. The economists that contributed to the study
are hoping that the empirical evidence gathered
will shed new light on BiH’s tobacco problem and
inform the policy discussions on its tobacco consumption
and excise taxes.
According to the World Bank’s senior economist,
Alan Fuchs, the aim of the study was to assess the
20
Alan Fuchs, World Bank’s Senior Economist at the presentation of the study “Time to Quit: The Tobacco Tax
Increase and Household Welfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina” on 15 February in Sarajevo.
Klima Bez Dima
Photo courtesy of the Post-Conflict Research Center

Impacts of Smoking:
bacco the Solution?
By Paraskevi Peglidou
Photo: Irma Ahmetspahić
distributional effects of increasing the price of tobacco
in BiH. This was done by examining the impact of
three indicators: (1) the increase in the price of tobacco
through tax increases, (2) the reduction in medical
expenses, and (3) the increase in revenues due to the
prolonged years of employment as a result of the higher
life expectancy. In order to evaluate the relative impact
of these indicators, the paper estimates the price
elasticity of tobacco across different income groups
and calculates the welfare gains in each group. The
study concludes that more than 60% of the population
will benefit from subsequent increases in the price of
cigarettes.
In a nutshell, tax increases would raise the price of
tobacco, leading to an overall reduction in its consumption,
which would reduce the adverse effects
of smoking in the long term. Interestingly, the study
also reveals that the benefits for lower-income
households are accentuated, as these households
are more likely to react to price increases by cutting
back on their consumption of tobacco.
The impacts of tobacco consumption extend beyond
just health-related diseases, and issues such
as the vast economic costs of smoking in BiH cannot
be overlooked. The negative consequences on
Initiative Highlights
21

human capital development include an increased
economic burden that results as a loss of labor productivity,
lower earnings due to early mortality and
morbidity, and an increase in the cost of healthcare
expenditures, which currently total around 891 million
convertible marks annually. Estimates suggest
that the total economic costs attributable to smoking
constitute 3.4 percent of BiH’s GDP (World Bank,
2019).
Reducing tobacco consumption in BiH has become
a priority for the World Health Organization (WHO),
not only because of the high health care costs but
also because adjusting current excise tax policies is
a necessity for the country’s accession to the European
Union (EU). The continued harmonization of
excise policy in line with EU standards is required
by every prospective member to the EU, and BiH is
currently only halfway to reaching the minimum EU
excise duty on tobacco. However, the constant and
regular increase in excise duties has resulted in consistent
price increases on tobacco products, which,
according to the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco
Epidemic (2017), has led to a significant decrease in
cigarette smoking among both genders.
According to another report by the Global Youth Tobacco
Survey, the prevalence of cigarette use among
youth (ages 13-15) has also declined from 14.3%
in 2008 to 12.7% in 2013. Another benefit of the
excise taxes is that it results in higher government
revenues, which may then be used to lower taxes
elsewhere or for financing the necessary prevention
and control of cigarette-related diseases.
One of the primary goals of the WHO is to reduce
the consumption of tobacco by promoting the implementation
of MPOWER control policies, which
include tobacco monitoring, smoke-free policies,
smoking cessation support programs, the provision
of health advice and deterrents as well as
taxation policies. Among these policies, tobacco
taxation is considered one of the most efficient
measures to reduce tobacco consumption (World
Bank, 1999).
However, the World Bank’s Country Manager for
BiH, Emmanuel Salinas, recognizes that taxation
of tobacco is only part of the answer and that other
solutions also need to be considered. The effectiveness
of tobacco taxation additionally depends
on how the tax increases impact the final price
paid by consumers. The report concludes that an
integrative approach to anti-tobacco policies that
combine taxation and behavioral change policies
is needed to yield positive social returns.
Emanuel Salinas, World Bank’s Country Manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the presentation of the study
“Time to Quit: The Tobacco Tax Increase and Household Welfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina” on 15 February in
Sarajevo.
22
Klima Bez Dima
Photo courtesy of the Post-Conflict Research Center

Smoke Surrounds
Us Wherever We Go.
We Demand a
Solution!!!
The activities of the Klima Bez Dima initiative were presented to
visitors of the 2019 International Economy Fair in Mostar.
Text and photos by Marko Mlikota
Adviser to the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health Vedran Marčinko.
With the display of the creative “A Life in Smoke”
installation, visitors had the opportunity to get
informed about the goals of the initiative and to
sign a petition to support the creation of a healthier, smokefree
environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Initiators of Klima Bez Dima are persistent in their goal to
implement amendments to the law on tobacco control in
BiH, which would, in turn, prohibit smoking in public areas.
To accomplish this, they need to gather 10 thousand signatures.
The results of the initiative will soon be presented
during World Anti-Smoking Day, which is celebrated on the
31st of May.
“This bill does not want to ban smoking, but to introduce
order in public places so that tobacco smoke is not inhaled
by people who do not consume tobacco,” said Adviser to the
Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health, Vedran Marčinko.
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Herzegovina-Neretva
Canton, Rašid Hadžović, believes that a
healthy environment without tobacco smoke is absolutely
Initiative Highlights
23

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Rašid Hadžović
gave his support to the Klima Bez Dima initiative by signing the petition during the 2019 International
Economy Fair in Mostar.
necessary, especially for the people his ministry represents
with – the young people.
“As a minister and a man who does not consume cigarettes,
I consider this a good and positive initiative. All of our young
people should turn to a healthy life without tobacco smoke,
and to a healthy life in general. Given that we are surrounded
by smoke wherever we go, I think that a law is needed to ban
smoking in public places,” Hadžović said.
Sabina Memić from the City Administration of the City of Mostar
points out that by supporting a change in the law we
are also working toward the welfare and betterment of our
children’s future lives.
Ivana Ćosić believes that with the implementation of legally
imposed fines, the number of tobacoo product consumers
could be affected. “I think that such initiatives can bring
small, but significant, changes to our society. Changes in
the law would, indeed, contribute to improving the health of
both active smokers and passive ones. The passive smokers
are increasingly being exposed to tobacco smoke on a daily
basis.” says Ćosić.
Andrea Raguž, a student from Mostar, agrees with Ćosić. She
says that “this project is very useful for us and for future
generations, and I hope it will be successful. All people, both
smokers and non-smokers alike, deserve to live in a healthy
environment.”
“We are able to contribute to and present new perspectives
to people about the importance of reducing tobacco consumption
and promoting healthy lifestyles so that our country
and our descendants can live as healthily and happily as
possible,” Memić said.
Danijel Prgomet, a Croatian student who is living in Mostar
during his studies, thinks that smokers’ behaviors towards
non-smokers, and children especially, are inappropriate at
best.
“I’m exposed to tobacco smoke every day, and I think it’s a
health concern. It’s not right that people who smoke poison
the people who don’t smoke. I’m also worried about the fact
that children who are still developing are suffering in this
regard,” Prgomet said.
Sabina Memić, City Administration of the City of Mostar.
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Klima Bez Dima

Sport and Unity:
“Two Cities,
One Dream”
The European Youth Olympics Festival (EYOF) that took
place February 2019, joined two cities – Sarajevo and East
Sarajevo – in a positive spirit of unity and collective pride to
host this remarkable event.
By Paraskevi Peglidou
“Two cities, one dream,” was the EYOF motto for
2019, and the Festival provided a unique opportunity
for cooperation between Sarajevo and East Sarajevo
to share of a common vision and further build
a sustainable relationship for the future.
The EYOF also presented the opportunity to gain
support and momentum in an area that constitutes
an endemic problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina
(BiH); smoking. According to the World Bank’s report
“Time to Quit: The Tobacco Tax Increase and
Household Welfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina”
(January 2019), over 8,500 people die every year
from tobacco-related diseases. This is a staggering
number of deaths that can be prevented through
the promotion of a smoke-free environment in the
country.
The Swiss Government, the World Bank BiH, entity
Ministries of Health, entity Public Health Institutes,
and other local stakeholders have been working together
to encourage BiH citizens to adopt healthy
lifestyles as well as to develop regulations within
areas influencing the health risk factors of tobacco
and alcohol. As a result of these efforts, the “Klima
Bez Dima” initiative was established as a central
part of the broader project “Reducing Health Risk
Factors in BiH” in an effort to gain public support
for the amendment of the country’s tobacco control
laws.
Klima Bez Dima volunteers joined the EYOF at the
ice hockey finals between the Czech Republic and
Belarus. They spoke with the public, informed them
about the initiative, and asked them to actively show
their support by signing the pledge to restrict smoking
in public spaces. Overall, there was substantial
interest in the initiative and positive feedback. The
event was a promising step towards gaining the
Initiative Highlights
25

support needed for the adoption and implementation
of effective smoke-free policies.
Željko Kajtaz, a member of the Armed Forces of BiH
who was providing security services for the EYOF
event said: “I strongly believe in and support this
initiative. Firstly, we should ban public smoking
because it affects our health. Secondly, because it
affects the environment and stops us from having
a good time in public spaces.”
Saša, a visitor attending the hockey game said: “I
was recently in Germany where smoking in public
places is banned and, truthfully, being back to Bosnia
now makes me ill. I’ve noticed how much environments
with smoke affect my eyes and breathing.
We need to ban smoking in public spaces for
the wellbeing of all of our people.”
This year’s EYOF welcomed more than 1,500
young and talented athletes from 46 European
countries to compete in a variety of sports ranging
from alpine skiing and ice hockey, to figure skating
and curling. Their presence in the city spread the
values of respect, tolerance, and friendship. The
potential of youth as a leading and influential force
of progress made the significance of this event
even greater, and initiatives like Klima Bez Dima
are of immense importance as they aim to create a
healthier environment for the country’s youth.
The positive impact of sport and its power to bring
people together was echoed by Josef Liba, Chair of
the European Olympic Committee CoCom for the
Winter EYOF 2019 in his statement: “From the beginning,
the main goal behind bringing the EYOF to
Sarajevo and East Sarajevo was to show the local
26
Klima Bez Dima

people that there is happiness in the
world, something we can achieve
through sport.”
At the ceremony on 31 January
2019, Nenad Vuković the Mayor of
East Sarajevo said in a statement
to the Balkan Investigative Regional
Reporting Network: “EYOF 2019
sends a message of good cooperation
between the two cities and is a
project that shows that we can cooperate
on the basis on interests
when we estimate that projects will
benefit both cities.” Abdulah Skaka,
the Mayor of Sarajevo, said: “With
this project we have succeeded in
bringing together politics, economy,
culture, and sports.”
Photos: Diego Diaz Tellez Initiative Highlights 27

MultimediaC
28
Klima Bez Dima

Photo: IRMA AHMETSPAHIĆ (20), Sarajevo
K
lima Bez Dima invited youth from
across Bosnia and Herzegovina to
submit creative multimedia content that
tackles topics related to smoking in BiH
and its impacts and/or that promotes the
benefits of a smoke-free environment. The
content submitted as a part of this contest
was featured on the Klima Bez Dima social
media platforms in an effort to promote the
amendment of BiH tobacco control laws
and advocate for a healthier environment
for the country’s citizens.
In total, 35 submissions from 15 different
cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina
were received. Three top winners and four
honorable mentions were selected to win
a cash prize.
ontest
Initiative Highlights
29

1 st PLACE
MIRELA BIKOVIĆ
22 years old, Lukavac
Mirela’s winning video submission explores the physical and mental health effects of
cigarettes and presents two potential realities - one is a life consumed by cigarettes,
while the other is a life free of smoke. Her short film first reveals the smoker, who is
irritable, anxious, and unfocused, followed by the non-smoker, who is happy, calm,
and able to enjoy the clean air. Mirela also presents data on the physical health
effects of smoking. Surprisingly, smokers inhale only 15% of the tobacco smoke;
the rest impacts the second-hand smokers around them. The video concludes
with the actress making the choice to live a life without smoke and she urges others
to do so as well.
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Klima Bez Dima

3 rd PLACE
Nikola’s winning video submission shares a message from the perspective of an
active smoker who is all too familiar with the ramifications of smoking on their
health, such as an increased risk of cancer, heart attack, and bodily changes. They
also know that it impacts their finances, but despite their knowledge of the dangers
and downsides, quitting proves difficult. The central message of Nikola’s video,
however, is that although one may be an active smoker, one still has the choice
not to endange those around them. You don’t have to be a non-smoker to be a
supporter of Klima Bez Dima!
NIKOLA KANDIĆ
26 years old, Bileća
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31

Nedžad
32
Klima Bez Dima

2 nd PLACE
- Got fire?
- Nope. Only fresh
spring water today.
19 years old, Sarajevo
Spahalić
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33

HONORABLE MENTIONS
ZERINA BEKOLI
14 years old, Sarajevo
At just 14 years old, Zerina received special permission to participate in the contest
and her creative video submission highlights the history of cigarette production,
the harmful health effects of cigarette toxins, and the impacts of secondhand
smoke on children. Zerina points out that current cigarette production
uses 50 toxins, including hazardous rat poison, and that these toxins can lead
to harmful health outcomes, such as damage to the smokers’ respiratory and
urinary systems. They can also lead to various forms of cancer, including lung,
cervical, and esophageal cancer, as well as fatal heart diseases. With these negative
health effects in mind, Zerina is an avid supporter of the Klima bez Dima
initiative.
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Klima Bez Dima

KRISTINA RENDIĆ
26 years old, Prijedor
Kristina’s winning video submission showcases international support for the Klima
Bez Dima initiative and a life without tobacco smoke. Smoking indoors can harm
those who chose not to smoke through second-hand smoke. Kirstina believes that
active smokers have a responsibility to ensure that their choice does not harm the
non-smokers around them and she is not alone in that belief! Her friends from across
the globe, some of whom are medical professionals, also support the initiative. Her
friends from Banja Luka, Gradiška, Bihać, Novi Grad, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Podgorica,
Budva, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and France, all hold up a sign
that reads: “I want a life without tobacco smoke”.
Initiative Highlights
35

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Klima Bez Dima

NEJRA DŽANANOVIĆ (24), Sarajevo
Initiative Highlights
37

My Quitting
”
It’s been exactly one year, seven months, and 28
days since I smoked my last cigarette.
A mere 20 minutes after quitting, Anyone who has quit smoking knows how difficult
your blood pressure decreases, and painstaking the process is. From the time I
and your heart rate normalizes.
high school until the age of 29, I saw cigarettes as
a reward, a comfort, a five-minute break from work
The app informed me that the
or lectures, an ideal way to spend time while waiting
for city transport, or, very often, just a habit that
carbon monoxide in my blood
had dropped to normal levels
was very difficult to give up on.
within 12 hours.
As usual, I would prepare my cigarettes and coffee
right after I woke up. The combination of that morning
coffee and a cigarette is really good. So good
that even today, nearly two years after I quit smoking,
I still envy smokers for being able to partake in
that morning ritual.
I never imagined that I would say goodbye to my
long-standing habit that morning.
In the latter days of my addiction, I noticed that I
began to cough a lot, but I didn’t pay much attention
to it. My mother was very worried, and she
said that I should stop smoking, to which I always
responded negatively, although I really did wan a
life without cigarettes. Some smokers advised me
to switch cigarettes, but I was so loyal to the brand
I was consuming that even that seemed like a big
change for which I didn’t have the courage.
It was a pleasant, sunny September day when I
went with friends to the local pool. I packed my
cigarettes and went to go take part in one of my
Photo: Armin Halilović
favorite activities – swimming. I remember it well.
38 Klima Bez Dima

Journey
MIRNES BAKIJA (31), Sarajevo
There were five cigarettes left in the
box, which I decided was enough to
get me through my time at the pool.
However, rather than enjoying what
was once one of my favorite activities,
swimming now often turned into
a torture due to my lack of physical
fitness, which I had difficulties accepting.
I knew that smokers were less fit
and got tired more quickly than did
non-smokers, but that was truly the
day that convinced me of that fact.
Although I was already coughing, I lit
a third cigarette to go along with my
afternoon coffee. Suddenly I began to
think about how my fitness will deteriorate
more and more in the future
and, at that moment, something just
snapped inside of me. As I was holding
a cigarette in my hand, I turned to
a group of my friends and announced
that this was my last cigarette. I remember
how they laughed, thinking I
was kidding.
The Day After My Emotional
Break-up with Cigarettes
On that first morning without a cigarette,
a coffee without a cigarette, the
mere thought of life without cigarettes
sounded terrible. I was very nervous,
and I had to let some steam off on
someone, because I guess I thought
there must be a culprit for the difficult
situation I was in.
The second day was twice as hard and
I remember how I managed to get in a
fight with almost anyone with whom I
came into contact, so I made the decision
to stay home. I thought I would
probably lose all my friends if I continued
to fight with everyone. I was lazy
that day, and I laid around wondering
why cigarettes were so important to
me and what they represented.
When someone wants to quit smoking,
they simply have to learn to live without
cigarettes. From today’s perspective,
to quit smoking is to learn how to
do all the things we did as smokers,
but now as non-smokers. If we “survive”
all the situations where cigarettes
were an important factor, then
I believe that we would be fortunate
enough to say that we are truly nonsmokers.
To this day, I’ve kept the box that
holds those two remaining cigarettes
as a reminder of how hard it was to
quit, but also as a proud reminder of
the decision I made and stuck with it.
Initiative Highlights
39

Phone Apps to Quit Smoking are Really Motivating
The mobile app that I used at the start of my journey,
and that even still use today, is called “Smoke Free”.
I felt a new sense of motivation each night when I
received an electronic badge in the app that marked
another day without cigarettes. Collecting those
electronic badges gave me immense satisfaction for
some reason.
A mere 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure
decreases, and your heart rate normalizes. The
app informed me that the carbon monoxide in my
blood had dropped to normal levels within 12 hours. I
received a second notification that my circulation had
improved significantly and that my lung function had
increased, which was noticeable when I breathed. I
experienced an occasional cough for the first nine
months, which then disappeared right around the
time the app informed that the coughing would subside.
After almost a year and 8 months of nicotine abstinence,
the app says that the risk of pulmonary
carcinoma has decreased by 16% and that the risk of
a heart attack has decreased by 11%. These statistics
tell us how much cigarettes actually damage our
organs, and it takes up to 10 years to fully recover.
Today, the 603rd day since I gave up smoking, the
application shows me that I have saved 2,657.00
BAM. I now use that money to travel, which makes me
happy and keeps me far away from the temptation of
cigarettes.
Physical Activity is a Good Ally
For many, weight gain after quitting is a common occurrence,
so you should try to increase your physical
activity and adjust your diet as much as possible. I
decided to eat whatever I wanted for the first month
until the worst part had passed. The fact that I was
already thin made it a bit easier, so the eight kilograms
I gained wasn’t so terrible.
Walking after work gave me great pleasure because I
was finally able to walk five kilometers without experiencing
difficulties breathing. Every time cigarettes
entered my mind, I would get up and go take a walk
through nature or the city. After a certain period of
time, I started running, and the first time I ran five
kilometers was really a special day for me.
It all felt like I was being reborn. You simply feel
healthier and more energized. You can easily wake up
in the morning and your brain works much better.
One of My Best Life Decisions
Quitting cigarettes requires a lot of work and effort,
but today I consider it one of my best life decisions.
It wouldn’t be honest to say that I never think about
cigarettes, but unlike the first days and months after
I quit, the thought now only crosses my mind for a
few here and there. No matter how strong our bond
with cigarettes is, we very often only smoke out of
boredom.
In 2018, the World Health Organization stated that
tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths.
Eight million people die annually from the effects of
active or passive smoking, and one smoker dies every
six seconds. Lung disease, stroke, heart attack, and
cancer are the major diseases associated with the
consumption of cigarettes. In the 20th century alone,
more people died from the effects of smoking than in
the First and Second World War combined.
Today, I read every text that presents information
about the harmful effects of smoking, whereas before
and I would skip such media content. And, every time
I read about the consequences of smoking, I’m proud
and happy that I’m no longer a part of those dark
statistics.
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Klima Bez Dima

JOURNALISTIC
PUBLICATIONS
Initiative Highlights
41

Open Fun Footbal
in Bosnia and Herz
The importance of sports for children and young adults cannot be underestimated.
Sports are a great way for children to learn essential life skills that will
serve them in later life, such as teamwork, cooperation, and the principles of a
healthy lifestyle.
F
or the last 21 years, the small team at the
Cross Cultures Project Association (CCPA)
has been working to re-engage people of different
backgrounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)
through sports, with an emphasis on football, to
create safe “meeting places” to help people rebuild
trust and breakdown hatred and fear. Since
the program began in 1998, CCPA has engaged
66,950 children in BiH alone, and 244,451 children
throughout the Balkans, in multi-ethnic football
programs. Many of these programs’ past participants
have returned as young adults to coach the
next generation of children.
After working in BiH for the UNHCR during the war,
Anders Levinsen decided to return to the country in
42
Klima Bez Dima

l Schools
egovina
By David Lander
1998 to help rebuild. It was during
that time that Levinsen came
up with the idea to use football
as an uncomplicated and relaxed
way to rebuild trust and break
down the hatred, fear, and animosity
that lingered in communities
that remained divided. Thus,
CCPA was founded with a vision
to utilize football schools and
camp programs to create safe
‘meeting-places’ for BiH youth.
Vildana Delalić-Elezović, CCPA’s
Project Coordinator for BiH, described
that, during those initial
years, there was, “a lot of rebuilding
in terms of new roads, new
bridges, new infrastructure, new
everything, but hardly anything
was done to rebuild communities
and the relationships between
people.”
football programs for people regardless
of their skill level, gender,
and social, ethnic, religious or
political backgrounds. Each event
follows a “two-city approach” in
which at least two municipalities
of largely different ethnic makeups
are brought together, engaging
children from each community.
In addition, rather than
splitting the participants into two
teams to play against each other
as would be the case in a typical
football match, they are divided
into twelve groups by age,
intermixing children from each
municipality. The twelve groups
of children then spend their time
transitioning through twelve different
stations to learn football
skills and play games that incorporate
various approaches to cooperation
and teamwork. These
games additionally allow the children
to build relationships among
peers within their age group by
simply being on a team together.
The OFFS program not only encourages
relationship-building
among its youth participants but
also adults from different communities,
which begins long before
the actual events take place.
Using football as the central and
primary focus, the OFFS program
The organization’s main program
is its Open Fun Football Schools
(OFFS), which operates under
the simple and powerful Cross
Cultures slogan of “bringing people
together” and offers children
from across ethnic and social divides
and from different regions
and municipalities are offered a
way to interact and build relationships
through a shared love
for football. The OFFS provide allinclusive,
five-day and one-day
Initiative Highlights
43

creates a safe space for adults from different societies
and backgrounds to meet and interact with one
another in positive ways. With incredible buy-in
from the municipalities, the program has never had
to pay or rent a football field for their programs,
and, as a special bonus, CCPA donates all of the
football equipment to the communities involved for
continued use following the event.
The OFFS program has achieved great success over
the past two decades. Since its inception in 1998,
CCPA has led 325 five-day OFFS programs in BiH
and 1,228 programs across the Balkans in Serbia,
Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.
These programs have not only engaged 244,451
children throughout the Balkans but have also inspired
many of their former youth participants to
return as counselors and coaches to replicate the
lessons they learned and help build relationships
similar to those they established as a result of their
previous participation.
In addition to teaching young people football and
how to be teammates with other children from
different communities and backgrounds, CCPA
has been able to impart other important lessons
to those involved in their programs. During each
OFFS event, the organization creates what it calls
“Station 13”, which is dedicated to teaching participants
about subjects outside of football. In the
past, Station 13 has included lessons about landmine
awareness, ecology, and efforts to reduce littering.
These lessons delivered during play, physical
exercise, and football matches help contribute
to the holistic development of youth throughout the
Balkans. In the future, CCPA hopes to use “Station
13” to deliver lessons about the dangers of smoking
as part of BiH’s national Klima Bez Dima antismoking
initiative. Several studies show that youth
involvement in sports can greatly contribute to the
prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse.
One such study of U.S. public high school students
entitled ‘Her Life Depends On It III’ conducted by
the Women’s Sports Foundation, found that those
who participated in organized sports were 22%
less likely to smoke cigarettes and that the more
involved a girl was in sports, the less likely she was
to smoke.
In August 2018, the OFFS programs were further
expanded to include young migrant children living
in BiH. During a five-day OFFS program, which
was held in the Bosnian town of Cazin, CCPA-BiH,
with the support of the International Organization
of Migration (IOM), was able to engage migrant
children from a nearby migrant reception center.
One of the program’s trainers described how the
migrant and local youth were able to actively socialize
and build relationships despite the fact that
they did not speak the same language. He described,
“They have found a way to overcome the
language barrier using the international language
of sports.” Programs like these demonstrate the
inherent willingness and desire among children to
find ways to interact and build relationships with
one another no matter their differences. Through
their extensive football programs, CCPA has been
able to teach children from different communities
and backgrounds that they can become friends and
teammates despite their differences.
44
Klima Bez Dima
Photos courtesy of the Cross Cultures Project Association

FARIS ŠABOTIĆ (19), Sarejevo
Klima Bez Dima Multimedia Contest submission
Initiative Highlights
45

Smoke is U
Exposing Ch
According to a study
by the World Bank,
more than one million
adults and two thousand
children aged
10 to 14 in Bosnia and
Herzegovina are daily
tobacco users. Not
only does tobacco
usage impact the users,
but also creates
issues such as exposing
non-smokers to
second-hand smoke,
and experts warn that
even brief exposure
warrants risk.
Medical doctor Stela Stojisavljevic says that passive smoking (inhaling tobacco
smoke from the environment created by others who smoke tobacco and tobacco
products) is harmful to the health of both children and adults.
46
Klima Bez Dima
“For people who have never smoked, inhaling of tobacco smoke causes severe difficulties
in breathing, a feeling of constriction of the lungs, and coughing. Passive smoking
also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung cancer and is particularly
detrimental to young children as it affects their growth and development,” she
explains to Balkan Diskurs.
According to Stojisavljevic, children who are regularly exposed to smoking rooms are

ildren to Tobacco
nacceptable
By Tatjana Milovanović
Photo: Mirko Pincelli
more likely to experience ear infections, bronchitis, asthma, and
other respiratory illnesses.
“Even brief exposure to passive smoking is a risk to one’s health.
In addition to the health effects, passive smoking also has economic
consequences: smoking rooms must be painted more frequently,
clothes must be washed more frequently, and the need to
frequently “air out” rooms during the winter requires the use of
additional heating,” she adds.
Another significant issue is the fact that smoking is still allowed
inside of BiH schools, despite the numerous warnings of health
care workers.
Nusreta Jamakovic, a teacher in Sarajevo, says that the most effective
solution would be a complete ban on smoking inside of
schools and school districts.
“Another option could be the placement of a cage-like smoking
room next to the main building where everyone could see us. I
Initiative Highlights
47

think that many of us would be too ashamed to go out there to
smoke and would, thus, opt not to do so,” she said.
One of the tobacco control measures that has proven most
successful, according to Dr. Stela Stojisavljevic, is a ban on
smoking in public places.
“A ban on smoking in public places results in a gradual decrease
in the number of cigarettes smoked by smokers, which
gradually leads to a decrease in the number of smokers. A ban
on smoking in public places also reduces exposure to tobacco
smoke for the non-smokers that make up the majority of the
population,” she says.
The percentage of tobacco-related deaths in Bosnia and Herzegovina
is one of the largest in the world. A study conducted
by the World Bank warns that passive smoking causes many
respiratory illnesses, both in children and adults, and it is estimated
that smoking results in nine thousand deaths a year, of
which around ten percent are non-smokers who are exposed
to tobacco smoke.
Stojisavljevic explains that by banning smoking in public places,
a social message would be sent that smoking is not a socially
acceptable behavior, which has a proven impact on the
attitudes of young people about smoking, and, in turn, could
mean they would be less likely to start smoking.
“Education and health care workers should serve as role models
and, therefore, it is not advisable for them to expose young
people to their smoking habits,” Stojisavljevic says.
As outlined by the World Health Organization’s Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), effective measures
to protect people against exposure to tobacco smoke require
the complete elimination of tobacco smoke from public indoor
places.
The draft Law on Control and Restricted Use of Tobacco, Tobacco
Products and Other Smoking Products in the Federation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the draft Law on
the Protection of the Population from Tobacco Products and
Other Smoking Products in Republika Srpska (RS) fall in line
with both the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and
the European Tobacco Products Directive (EUTPD).
In the FBiH, this draft law has been positively assessed and
adopted by the House of Representatives and the House of
Peoples following the first reading, and is currently awaiting
its final adoption by the FBiH Parliament. The RS is still awaiting
the adoption of the draft of their draft law.
It is a dismal reality that almost 60 percent of young people
aged 13 to 15 are exposed to tobacco smoke in their own
homes. Almost every BiH household has a parent that smokes
and many young people are exposed to tobacco smoke in this
way.
According to research results published in the Republika Srpska,
80.7% adults were exposed to smoking in public places
and 53.6% were exposed in the workplace. In addition, among
young people aged 13 to 15, 8.6% of boys and 7.1% percent
of girls are smokers.
Teacher Nusreta Jamakovic warns of another problem – the
increasing consumption of hookahs, which medical workers
claim is even more harmful than smoking.
“Hookah is very popular among primary school students and
the State needs to find a way to get the use of hookahs under
control. At the moment, there is no law dealing with this issue
and it is something that needs to be dealt with immediately,”
she warns.
Photo: Velija Hasanbegović
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Klima Bez Dima

FARIS ŠABOTIĆ (19), Sarejevo
Klima Bez Dima Multimedia Contest submission
Initiative Highlights
49

A Ban On
Smoking
as a Means
to Attract
More Tourists
Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently regatded as one of the
most desirable countries for those who like tobacco smoke.
Tourist services come second to those who constantly consume
tobacco, so public places rarely have non-smoking
areas.
By Kristina Gadže
50
R
ecent research on the
health situation of the
adult population in the Federation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(FBiH) shows that as many as
44 percent of adults are regular
smokers, of whom 56 percent
are men and 31.6 percent
are women, with an average
consumption of 16.9 cigarettes
a day.
Klima Bez Dima
Numerous cities in BiH are trying
to halt this statistic, the
city of Mostar included. This
goal is also supported by the
“Klima Bez Dima” initiative,
which aims to support and promote
no tobacco smoke in all
catering spaces in BiH. The initiative
was launched as part of
the “Reduction of Health Risk
Factors in BiH” project supported
by the Government of
Switzerland and implemented
by the World Bank in BiH in
partnership with entity health
ministries, entity public health
institutes, and other local
stakeholders.
The Tourist Board of Hercegovacko-Neretva
County (TZ
HNŽ) points out that the exact
number of non-smoking establishments
in Mostar is unknown,
but that it is a condition
that is most certainly required

by tourists.
“Since Mostar is visited by
tourists from countries with
non-smoking laws in place
with regard to enclosed public
places, they have become accustomed
to such conditions,
so their stay in places where
smoking is allowed definitely
bothers them. We believe that
the local shops, if technically
feasible, should be asked
to have separate spaces for
smokers, especially in the areas
where food is consumed,”
says expert associate of HZ TZ,
Ramiz Basic.
According to Basic, the decision
to ban smoking in enclosed
public places would
significantly contribute to the
improvement of Mostar’s reputation
as a tourist destination
where the latest catering sector
trends are being monitored
and rules that allow tourists to
enjoy areas free of smoke are
being adopted.
According to a public map of
Mostar’s smoke-free locations,
there are only three catering
facilities that have a non-smoking
area – the Teco coffee shop,
the Kriva Cuprija Hotel, and the
McDonald’s fast-food chain.
“We believe that a decision
should be made to ban smoking
at the bus and train stations,
as well as at the Mostar
airport, at the very least. We
also think there is a need to increase
efforts to ensure that a
Initiative Highlights
51

number of the restaurants located in areas
most-frequently visited by tourists are nonsmoking,
“Basic said.
There are a large number of people from
abroad that live in Mostar who must now
adapt to this crazy way of life. “I know of only
one cafe in Mostar that has a non-smoking
area. It’s near the University of Mostar. Most
places are best suited for smokers, which
often worries me. I am concerned for the
people’s health, especially that of the young
people who smoke,” says Xiukun Meng, a
Chinese language and culture lecturer at the
University of Mostar.
According to the official Klima Bez Dima website,
9 out of 10 BiH citizens are exposed to
tobacco smoke in a public place, while 85
percent of children are exposed to tobacco
smoke in the living rooms of their own
households.
“I often have to meet with business colleagues
in smoky cafes, and that presents a
problem because they don’t like such places.
I only know of three places that support the
non-smoking initiative, of which is Lux Bar at
the INTERA Technology Park, so it’s very difficult
if someone is looking for a nice meeting
place that is free of tobacco smoke,” says
Jonathan Trousdale, a representative of the
“Every Student” association who has been
living in Mostar for years.
The Klima Bez Dima initiative has visited numerous
cities across BiH over the past couple
of years, Mostar included, with the goal
to spread awareness of the many problems
living with tobacco smoke presents. The initiative
ultimately aims to change BiH law on
tobacco control in order to prohibit smoking
in all indoor public spaces.
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Klima Bez Dima
Photos: Mladen Topić

Smoking and Women’s
Health:
The Disproportionate
Effects Among the Sexes
By Jade Penancier
In her book, “From Outrage to Courage”, feminist scholar
Anne Firth Murray remarks: “Being born female is dangerous
for your health. This reality may not be true for many
readers, but for most women living in poor countries
around the globe, it is devastating.”
Most people are aware of the devastating consequences of tobacco consumption, though few people know that
smoking unequally affects men and women. Smoking environments and the tobacco industry are particularly
dangerous to women, whether they are active smokers or non-smokers.
Global health organizations systematically disaggregate their statistical data between male and female populations.
Some primary reasons for this approach are that tobacco addiction provokes different health issues in men and women,
and that smoking behaviors generally differ between the two sexes. In a fact sheet on Gender and Tobacco published
in 2003 by the World Health Organization, the authors remark that “[…] female smokers risk increased cardiovascular
disease, in particular while using oral contraceptives, and higher rates of infertility, premature labor, low birth weight in
infants, cervical cancer, early menopause, and bone fractures.” Due to hormonal factors, women are more prone to cervical
cancers as well as complications due to the combination of contraceptive pills and tobacco chemical substances.
The difference between male and female smokers is also related to different “psycho-social aspirations” (WHO 2003).
Distinct prevailing gender norms for men and women greatly influence reasons to take up or quit smoking. Gender stereotypes
are fully exploited by tobacco industry marketing campaigns. For men, tobacco consumption is associated with
Initiative Highlights
53

virility, manhood, and adventure, values acclaimed
as typically masculine. Conversely, advertisements
targeting women associate tobacco with “seductive
but false images of vitality, slimness, emancipation,
sophistication, and sexual allure” (WHO 2003). In
addition, many tobacco brands design so-called
“light” or “slender” cigarettes, marketed as less
harmful and aimed to attract non-smoking women
and girls. The Tobacco Atlas points out that these
marketing campaigns are especially harmful to gender
equality. The website states, “[t]o appeal to
more customers, the tobacco industry markets its
products aggressively to women and children”.
At the global level, statistical data show a clear
prevalence of male smokers. According to the Tobacco
World Atlas “[g]lobally, 942 million men and
175 million women ages 15 or older are current
smokers.” Charts presenting data for each country
systematically indicate a higher number of male
smokers, with some dramatic gender gaps in China,
for instance, which has 236 million male smokers
and 14 million women smokers.
Do these discrepancies mean that women are less
in danger of dying from tobacco consumption? No,
in fact, it’s quite the opposite. The high exposure
to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) makes female
non-smokers particularly vulnerable to the
side effects of tobacco consumption. For instance,
the WHO fact sheet remarks that “lung cancer death
rates in the European Union are nearly three times
higher for female compared to male non-smokers,
which researchers attribute to exposure from spousal
smoking.”
The Bosnian and Herzegovinian context reflects
overall global trends between male and female
smokers. The Tobacco Atlas for BiH shows that, despite
the recent progress made in tobacco regulation
policies, Bosnian men smoke 48% more than in
other countries with a High Development Indicator
(HDI), while 30% of Bosnian women smoke more.
This gender gap in smoking habits is a clear indicator
of the gender economic gap in BiH. As highlighted
in a Gender Analysis Report published by Measure
BiH, gender inequality in employment is high in
both of BiH’s entities. One oft-cited statistic is that
two-thirds of the unemployed population in BiH are
women. As a consequence, in most Bosnian traditional
households and in rural areas, women tend
to have lower—if any—incomes than their husbands
and cannot afford to buy tobacco.
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Klima Bez Dima

”[…] female smokers risk increased cardiovascular disease, in
particular while using oral contraceptives, and higher rates
of infertility, premature labor, low birth weight in infants,
cervical cancer, early menopause, and bone fractures.
A closer look at the World Bank report on The Tobacco
Tax Increases and Household Welfare in BiH published
last February reveals other interesting facts
about tobacco consumption and gender inequality
in the country. On the one hand, men and women
suffer equal mortality rates from tobacco-related illnesses.
In 2015, out of the total of 20,267 recorded
victims of direct tobacco consumption, 10,300 were
men and 9,927 were women. On the other hand,
charts showing the medical costs of treatment for
tobacco-related diseases surprisingly indicate significant
gender gaps. Overall, women spend much
less money on medical expenses to cure their tobacco-related
diseases (see Table 6, page 23), with
around 68 million BAM spent on men and 24 million
BAM for women.
and addiction issues are too often stigmatized and
many women worldwide lack access to free and
quality mental health services. So, what solutions
are available? The first priority seeks to assure that
non-smokers are protected from the harmful effects
of tobacco smoke. In BiH, the World Bank has recently
launched the “Klima Bez Dima” initiative to
ban smoking in public spaces across the country. In
addition, more services like those of Asocijacija XY,
who provides local youth with psychological support
and reproductive health counseling, should be made
more broadly available to women and girls in BiH.
These various facts and figures indicate that tobacco-consumption,
as well as second-hand smoking,
is not only a gender-related issue in BiH but worldwide.
Access to healthy living environments is a basic
human right, however, a great majority of women
must suffer the side-effects of smoking, especially
in poorer countries where there is still a lack of tobacco
regulation.
One should also bear in mind that smoking is connected
to mental health issues, which are still prevalent
in post-conflict societies like BiH. In addition,
depression and other mental health issues are important
factors for taking up smoking for both sexes
in poorer countries. Unfortunately, mental disorders
Photos: Amila Žunić Initiative Highlights 55

THE
WOMEN
INFLUENCERS
OF KLIMA BEZ
DIMA
Each year, the 8th of March presents a special opportunity
to celebrate women across the globe who
play central roles in our lives as leaders, peacebuilders,
mothers, changemakers, daughters, educators,
health care providers, role models, and much more.
That is why Klima Bez Dima used the month of March
2019 to highlight important messages from brave
and inspirational BiH women who are dedicated
to protecting, improving, and empowering the lives
of those around them – women who advocate that
breathing clean air is the right of all citizens.
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Klima Bez Dima

“You can live life with clear
lungs only when you give
yourself the same amount
of attention as you give others.”
SANDA MEŠINOVIĆ, fitness trainer
and Kundalini yoga teacher
“Smoking is ‘démodé’. I don’t
want my free time to be dictated
by smoke. I want to
breathe freely.”
MAJA SALKIĆ, actress from the
Sarajevo War Theater
“I’m proud to use my voice
to support a healthy, smokefree
environment.”
MAJA MANOJLOVIĆ, artist and
teacher at the Mama Vox vocal
studio
Initiative Highlights
57

”
Every fall provides a
new opportunity and
motivation to stand
up, go further, and try
harder.
RAZIJA MUJANOVIĆ, celebrated Bosnian
basketball player and humanitarian whose
work is featured in the International Basketball
Federation Hall of Fame in Geneva.
Razija
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Klima Bez Dima

Mujanović
Initiative Highlights
59

“Women in BiH are both
ladies and champions. If
you give them enough
support and let them
spread their wings,
they can reach divine
heights.”
“Emotional intelligence
is of the utmost importance
for a women in
a world that is going
through an extensive
digital transformation.”
LARISA HALILOVIĆ, educational
expert and executive
director of the British Council
of Bosnia and Herzegovina
60 Klima Bez Dima
NUDŽEJMA SOFTIĆ, lector at
Al Jazeera Balkans, president
of “Trčanje i to” association,
and marathon runner

“I want my right to clean
air!”
HATIDŽA NUHIĆ, costume designer
and TV author
“A real Bosnian woman
does not accept unhealthy
compromises.”
SAMIRA NUHANOVIĆ, founder
of KOOPERATIVA
Initiative Highlights
61

Klima Bez Dima
Klima Bez Dima is part of the “Reducing Health Risk Factors in BiH” project supported
by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the World Bank in
BiH in partnership with entity Ministries of Health, entity Public Health Institutes,
and other local stakeholders.
www.bit.ly/klimabezdima
MAGAZINE DESIGN: