More than half of Serbian citizens, either consciously or unconsciously, strive to reduce harmful factors in their lives, but this percentage should be even higher, it was stated at the Serbian Assembly before the start of the conference "Harm Reduction Concept – Challenges of Modern Society," organized in collaboration with the Serbian-American Friendship Congress.
Vladimir Pejić from Faktor Plus mentioned that a study was conducted on reducing harmful living conditions, particularly as there has been much discussion recently about environmental protection and raising awareness about healthy living.
"Our motivation was to assess how many Serbian citizens, knowingly or unknowingly, implement the harm reduction concept concerning food, water, and industry. We found that 65% of respondents apply harm reduction principles," said Pejić, hoping that the percentage will increase in future research.
Dr. Mirjana Mićović, founder of the Health Festival, a non-governmental organization promoting healthy lifestyles, noted that the festival attracts over 20,000 visitors, who undergo 5,000-6,000 health screenings and consultations.
"We all know what is harmful, but we still use it. Our task is to present alternative products and ways to reduce harm and improve our health through lectures and consultations," said Mićović, announcing an educational caravan that will tour cities across Serbia.
Cardiologist and President of the Association for the Prevention of Hypertension, Heart Disease, and Stroke, Nebojša Tasić, stated that every other resident of Serbia dies from cardiovascular diseases, and 80% of these deaths can be prevented through aggressive risk factor reduction.
"Despite our efforts to eliminate risk factors, the reality is different, as more than half of the citizens do not adhere to important health practices, and we, as doctors, must further educate them," Tasić said at the Assembly.
