Public information campaigns designed to promote healthier lifestyles are proving insufficient, concludes the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
The prevalence of problem drinkers and drug users in the Netherlands remains unchanged, as does the rate of overweight individuals. An estimated 40 to 50 percent of the Dutch population is overweight, with more than 10 percent severely so.
Nearly a third of Dutch adults smoke (27 percent), a higher rate than in neighboring countries. RIVM confirms the national target of 20 percent smokers for this year will not be reached.
The institute urges a new approach: stricter measures like expanded bans, as seen with smoking, and excise tax hikes on select products.
The findings are detailed in the report 'From Healthy to Better', presented to Health Minister Ab Klink on Thursday.
