"Smiles are a currency that don't cost anything at all and create much good will both within our own city and elsewhere", said Mayor of Vilnius Arturas Zuokas.

With a QR reader app and a smartphone, anyone can scan their mood of the moment based on a rating of 1-10 by stopping for a few seconds at any number of billboards that have been placed throughout Vilnius. Alternately, they can also note their level of happiness by visiting www.happybarometer.com. Composite results from both sources are displayed continuously on video screens located throughout Vilnius and on the website.

Currently, the average level of happiness in Vilnius is 6.1 out of a possible 10.

"Vilnius is full of creative people and often trumps Hong Kong for internet speed. I'm very glad that our city is the first in the world to implement this cutting edge project. Smiles signify a belief in the good things of today and those of the future. Vilnius is a city that believes in its future and I hope to see more and more smiles in our city everyday", said Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas.

The Happiness Barometer also provides those living outside of Vilnius with the opportunity to participate. People from London, New York, Riga, Tallinn as well as other cities in Lithuania have already expressed their level of happiness.

Lithuanian psychiatrist Ausra Deksnyte noted that a rating of 6.1 for Vilnius is good, considering the fact that international research has shown up until now that Lithuanians in general have often placed at the bottom of happiness factor lists.

"A person's physical and psychological wellbeing i.e. their health and that of their family are of primary importance", said A. Deksnyte. According to her, it is important for people to live in the present without getting lost in the past or worrying too much about the future. She also stated that it's important to smile, as this has a positive effect not only on themselves, but on others as well.

Arturas Jonkus of IQ Polls, who initiated the project, hopes that Vilnius' business centers, cafes, shopping centers and other companies will join the project. "The Happiness Barometer is not a scientific experiment, but a socially oriented project. Its goal is to encourage people to smile more often and to share their good mood and will with others", said Arturas Jonkus.

www.vilnius.lt