Zeenews Bureau
London: Use of tobacco in developing countries is increasing as more and more people have started smoking at younger ages. Adding to the woes is the threatening rate at which more women smokers are rising, according to a study published Friday in The Lancet.
Wide differences have been noted in the rates of smoking between genders and nations, as well as major disparities in access to effective anti-smoking policies and treatments.
Gary Giovino of the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, who also led the research, told a news agency that “Although 1.1 billion people have been covered by the adoption of the most effective tobacco-control policies since 2008, 83 percent of the world’s population are not covered by two or more of these policies”.
It is noted that in low-income countries, for every USD 9,100 received in tobacco taxes, only USD 1 was spent on tobacco control.
According to the WHO, tobacco already kills around 6 million people a year worldwide, including more than 600,000 non-smokers who die from exposure to second-hand smoke.
By 2030, if current trends continue, it predicts tobacco could be killing 8 million people a year.
(With Agency inputs)
