Nearly seven million people die every year by use of tobacco and smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the dire environmental impact of tobacco production, distribution and waste. The UN agency said tougher measures were needed to rein in tobacco use, urging countries to ban smoking in the workplace and indoor public spaces, outlaw marketing of tobacco products and hike cigarette prices. “Tobacco threatens us all,” WHO chief Margaret Chan said in a statement. “Tobacco exacerbates poverty, reduces economic productivity, contributes to poor household food choices, and pollutes indoor air,” she said.
In a report released ahead of ‘World No Tobacco Day’, WHO warned that the annual death toll of seven million people had jumped from four million at the turn of the century, making tobacco the world’s single biggest cause of preventable death Which is expected to keep rising.
