This past year, more than 5.8 trillion cigarettes were smoked — a similar number to 2013 — as growing tobacco use in China counters the decrease in other nations. This is according to a report filed on Thursday, conducted by the World Lung Foundation (or WLF).
In their international Tobacco Atlas (www.tobaccoatlas.org), the WLF as well as the American Cancer Society said that in 2013, the past year for which comprehensive figures were available, tobacco industry gains were more than $44 billion. Meanwhile, 6.3 million people died from smoking-related diseases. That equals a gain of $7,000 for each death caused by tobacco.
Tobacco use has a large risk factor for a variety of other sicknesses besides lung cancer, which is frequently fatal. It’s the world’s leading preventable cause of early death from chronic illnesses like strokes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
“The considerable decreases in smoking rates in the UK, Australia, Brazil, and other countries that apply increasingly tight tobacco control laws, are offset by the growing consumption within one country: China.” the report says.
Many nations around the globe have introduced some anti-tobacco laws, including controlling advertisements and banning smoking in enclosed areas; for example restaurants, pubs and offices. However, the Tobacco Atlas found that just 10 percent of the people in the world are covered by comprehensive prohibitions on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and just 16 percent by complete, smoke-free laws.
The Tobacco Atlas additionally found that smoking among women is increasing, driving up rates of female lung cancer:
“An indicator of future tendencies, there are 24 states where women smoke more than men, compared to only two states where the opposite occurs… the others are about even,” it said.
SOURCE:
“Industry Makes $7,000 for Each Tobacco Death.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/19/health-tobacco-idUSL6N0WK41Y20150319
It is nobodies business If We do smoke stay out of it. It’s called freedom of choice. I have the right to choose what I want to. If I want to smoke you should not be able to stop me. Remove this artificial.
I agree with your point of view, however what is alarming is:
1. The profit figures tobacco companies generate
2. The amount of money the government makes from taxation on tobacco related health care and sale of cigarettes
Solution? Direct the vast majority of profits directly to the smokers who require the help later in life – a little like a pension system, so smokers are free to consume as much as they desire without the rest society paying the financial price.
There is no benefit to smoking and it is easily addictive, however I strongly believe it is the individuals choice.
Agreed… it is your choice… And as a tax payer, it should be my choice that my tax dollars are not spent in hospitals on people who are smokers.
Stopped smoking now, using a E-vapourizer! Still get my senseless poison, considerable less side effects if any 🙂
Wow, $7,000 is nothing if you compare what other entities get per smoker death in the US:
$133 BILLION in annual “tobacco-related” health care costs / 480,000 smoker deaths annually in the US =
$277.1 MILLION in health care profits PER SMOKER DEATH in the US annually.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/
$25.7 BILLION in collected state exise taxes and MSA payments annually / 480,000 smoker deaths =
$53.5 MILLION in government revenue PER SMOKER DEATH in the US annually. (Less than 2% of that is spent on prevention and cessation programs.)
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/
$1 BILLION in smoking cessation products sold in US annually / 480,000 smoker deaths in US =
$2.1 MILLION in pharmaceutical profits PER SMOKER DEATH in US annually.
http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/sales-of-smoking-cessation-products-reach-1-billion/