Stay Informed

Sign up for news & alerts

Already signed up?
Login here

take action
For every $1 states spend dollar sign on substance misuse and addiction, 94 cents go to shovel up the consequences instead of for treatment and prevention. TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS

What Can I Do?



Continuing Education
Free online courses for addiction counselors LEARN ONLINE

Get Help
Need alcohol or drug help for yourself or someone else? GET HELP

 

Billion Smoking Deaths by 2100 Possible, UN Says
February 8, 2008

Share Share Email
Email
Print
Print
SubscribeSubscribe
News Summary

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that smoking could claim a billion lives worldwide by the end of the century, compared to 100 million deaths during the 20th century, the Associated Press reported Feb. 7.

The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008 was critical of the lack of action by many countries in confronting smoking, noting that nations worldwide collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes annually but spend less than one-fifth of one percent of that amount on prevention. "The tobacco epidemic already kills 5.4 million people a year from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. "Unchecked, that number will increase to more than 8 million a year by 2030."

The report urged nations to adopt six key strategies to prevent smoking-related disease and death, including raises tobacco taxes and prices, banning advertising, protecting people from secondhand smoke, warning about tobacco's dangers, helping those trying to quit, and monitoring use trends.

The WHO said that two-thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries -- China, Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey -- and projects that 80 percent of future tobacco-related deaths will occur in low- and middle-income nations over the new few decades.

"The shift of the tobacco epidemic to the developing world will lead to unprecedented levels of disease and early death in countries where population growth and the potential for increased tobacco use are highest and where healthcare services are least available," the report noted.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:
(Comments now appear first to last)

Your Turn! Post a public comment (guidelines):

Name:

Comment:
(limit 250
words)

Enter this word
(help):
Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for everyone, please:

  1. Keep it clean, courteous, brief, and on-topic. Comments are for discussion of the above article, not general rants or manifestos. Serial comments intended to circumvent the 250-word limit may be deleted.

  2. Do not post promotional web links, personal information or requests for assistance (get help).

  3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercial posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.