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June 02, 2019 Sunday 01:28:03 PM IST

It is Not a Wild Animal or Poison, But Kills Eight Million People Annually

It is not a dreaded wild animal nor a poison,it is a piece of plant material but kills eight million people every year. Take your breath, it is tobacco. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned people on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (May 31) that 40% of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and tuberculosis. In 2017, 3.3 million users including passive smokers died due to tobacco.
-1.5 mn from chronic respiratory diseases
-1.2 million deaths from cancer (tracheal, bronchus and lung)
-600,000 deaths from respiratory infections and tuberculosis.

WHO is urging countries to fight the tobacco epidemic through full implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and enforcing effective tobacco control actions, including WHO’s recommended “MPOWER” policy measures, for example by reducing demand for tobacco through taxation, creating smoke-free places and cessation support.