Background:
The European Union is currently funding, through its Health Programme, the implementation in Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Luxembourg of the project ‘YOUNG50’ – an organized cardiovascular risk screening programme for active prevention in fifty-year-olds.

Objectives:
This study focuses on the implementation of the project in Romania, giving special attention to the actions proposed to integrate smoking cessation into screening and prevention of cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods:
The study presents strengths and weaknesses as well as concrete solutions to enhance smoking cessation in Romania as an essential pillar for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Results:
The activities will include a screening for behavioural as well as biological risk factors among people 50 years old from Cluj-Napoca, Romania as well as appropriate information, education and counselling for healthy lifestyle promotion, based on the risk factors identified during the screening. To facilitate smoking cessation, several educational approaches will be used including leaflets and the use of a computer-tailored program for smoking cessation, which allows comprehensive counselling for smoking cessation through the use of information and communication technology.

Conclusions:
The project integrates smoking cessation as part of a comprehensive program for screening and prevention of cardiovascular risk factors and health promotion among Romanian adults.