Why is the American Cancer Society now focusing on the issue of global tobacco control?
There is a great need to take action. Tobacco is a ticking time bomb. As cancer incidence and mortality rates have begun to level off and decline in developed nations, the burden of cancer has begun to shift to the developing world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 500 million people alive today in the world –250 million of them children—will eventually be killed by tobacco-related disease. Question: Who is most at risk? Answer: A recent study conducted by WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here in the United States found that one in seven young people aged 13-15 around the world smoke cigarettes, with nearly a quarter of them having tried their first cigarette by the age of 10. About 80,000-100,000 children and adolescents become addicted to tobacco each day around the world. In China alone, about 50 million youth will eventually be killed by tobacco. Question: Why has tobacco emerged as the leading killer in the world? Answer: There are several ma
