Even though mortality from lung cancer is lower in Austria than in many other EU countries, it remains the leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases (see Section 2). While the development of a comprehensive policy on the protection of nonsmokers started relatively late compared to other countries, Austria introduced a number of measures in recent years, including smoking bans in public places (see Box 1). In addition, Austria published its first Addiction Prevention Strategy - covering illegal and legal drugs including tobacco and alcohol - in 2016, providing the basis for the direction of addiction policy in the coming years. This development potentially contributes to increased mortality from cardiovascular diseases and other health issues in the longer term.