I Tobacco is the world’s leading preventable cause of death. Globally, tobacco causes 1 in 10 adult deaths, and in 2005, tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths, an average of one death every six seconds from tobacco-related diseases. If current trends continue, tobacco-related deaths are expected to reach 8.3 million in 2030.
Half of all regular smokers will die from tobacco-related illnesses. On average, 29% of the world’s population smokes. The prevalence of smoking is higher for men (47.5%) than for women (10.3%). There are currently 1.3 billion smokers worldwide, 650 million of whom will die from tobacco, and half of them will die prematurely between the ages of 35 and 69. Hu Jun, Department of Neurology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital
III About 1 billion or 84% of the world’s smokers live in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Developing countries will account for 70% of all global tobacco-related deaths by 2030.
IV In the 20th century, 100 million deaths were caused by tobacco. If this trend continues, 1 billion people will die from tobacco in the 21st century.
V The smoke from burning tobacco is known as secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke. When smoked in an enclosed space, the smoke is inhaled by everyone in the space and is harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers. This is known as involuntary smoking or passive smoking.
Six: Secondhand smoke is harmful to health. Tobacco smoke is known to contain more than 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which can cause cancer. Adults who inhale secondhand smoke can also suffer from fatal heart disease, serious respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease.
About 1/2 of the world’s children (about 700 million) live in an environment contaminated by tobacco smoke, especially in the home. Secondhand smoke inhalation in children can cause a variety of serious illnesses and exacerbate childhood asthma.
8 The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 200,000 workers die each year from chronic exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 3,000 non-smokers die each year in the United States from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke inhalation.
ix Increased direct or indirect medical costs and lost productivity from secondhand smoke inhalation result in increased economic losses for individuals, businesses, and society as a whole.
x Safe exposure levels for secondhand smoke do not exist. Neither ventilation nor filtration measures, alone or in tandem, can reduce indoor exposure levels to secondhand smoke to acceptable levels. Only a 100% smoke-free environment can effectively protect the health of nonsmokers.
From the Peking University Shenzhen Hospital website