NICOSIA, April 12 (Reuters) - EU health chief Markos Kyprianou was forced into a vigorous defence of his anti-smoking crusade on Thursday in his native Cyprus, a nation of diehard smokers.

"I haven't even started yet," Kyprianou shot back when asked at a lecture in Cyprus about European Union plans to extend bans on smoking in public places. About 45 percent of Cypriots smoke, and bans on lighting up in public places are viewed as rules that are meant to be bent.

The same questioner asked how effective a ban would be and compared it to the 1930s ban on liquor in the United States.

Riled by the same person's suggestion that smoking was not a health risk Kyprianou, the EU health commissioner, said: "Speak to all of those who have relatives with health problems."

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