Smoking is a relentless killer. Surveys shows the that;
- It killed 100,000,000 people during the last century.
- It takes about 6,000,000 lives a year.
- On average, it kills one person every six seconds.
And there is no sign of a turnaround.
Researchers predict that smoking will have taken
1,000,000,000 lives by the end of the 21st century.
Unlike epidemics that send doctors racing to
discover a cure, this scourge is eminently curable; the solution is
well-known. Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health
Organization, stated: “The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made, and it
can be turned around through the concerted efforts of governments and
civil society.”
Each year, the
tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising to attract
new customers. The addictive nature of tobacco almost ensures
that casualties will remain high among the one billion smokers already
hooked.
Advertising and addiction keep many trapped in a
habit they wish they could break.
